Sabey data center at Montana Connections Business Park, Butte
Sabey Data Centers planned a $1 billion campus with two large buildings on 606 acres of county land west of Butte. The deal fell apart in 2026 when another company in the park used its right to buy the land first. Sabey says it is still looking in southwest Montana, including Deer Lodge County.
Where things stand: Sabey ended its land deal on May 13, 2026, after another company used its right to buy the land. Sabey says it is still looking elsewhere in southwest Montana.
🕒 Latest update (May 13, 2026): Sabey ended its buy-sell agreement with Butte-Silver Bow.
What we know
- 📍 WhereMontana Connections Business Development Park, west of Butte, Butte-Silver Bow, Silver Bow County
- 🏢 CompanySabey Data Centers
- 🌳 Size606 acres
- ⚡ Power it needs250 megawatts (about as much as 200,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromNorthWestern Energy letter of intent: at least 50 MW from 2027, growing to 250 MW or more by 2029.
- ❄️ CoolingClosed-loop cooling (company says it needs one fill, then little water)
- 💵 Cost$1 billion
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Will Sabey try another site in Butte-Silver Bow or Anaconda-Deer Lodge County? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- Dec 2024NorthWestern announced a letter of intent with a then-unnamed data center developer near Butte, later known to be Sabey.
- April 2025Butte-Silver Bow commissioners agreed to sell 606 acres in the county business park to Sabey for about $1.21 million.
- Feb 2026Commissioners extended Sabey's closing deadline to Aug. 11, 2026.
- April 17, 2026REC Silicon, a business already in the park, said it would use a 1996 right of first refusal to buy about 628 acres, including the data center land.
- May 13, 2026Sabey ended its buy-sell agreement with Butte-Silver Bow.
Local votes and rules
🗳️ Public vote
A citizen group gathered signatures for a ballot measure that would require a vote of the people before any data center is built or expanded in Butte-Silver Bow. The county moved the signature deadline earlier, and a local judge sided with the county on Aug. 28. The Montana Supreme Court first put it on the November 2026 ballot, then reversed itself on Sept. 24 because ballots were already printed and mailed. It will not be on the November ballot.
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
Commissioners voted 11-0 to have the county attorney write a temporary pause on new data centers. As discussed, it would last six months, with at most two one-year extensions, and then the council would have to pass rules. As of early October 2026 we found no final vote.
✅ Approved
Butte-Silver Bow commissioners approved selling about 600 acres of county land in the Montana Connections business park to Sabey Data Centers for a big data center. The county gets over $1 million and can take the land back if the plan falls through. In 2026 another company (REC Silicon) used its right to buy the land first, and Sabey ended the deal.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Washington company secures land, seeks power for Butte data center · Montana Public Radio · April 22, 2025
- REC Silicon opts to buy land once slated for Sabey data center in Butte business park · Bozeman Daily Chronicle · April 2026
- Butte data center land deal halted after REC Silicon buys the property · KXLF · April 2026
- Sabey nixes buy-sell agreement with Butte-Silver Bow but still hunting for data center · Montana Standard (via Lee syndication) · May 2026
- Montanans push back on NorthWestern Energy's power plan · The Pulp · 2026
- Data center pulls out of Great Falls, group says, others charge ahead · Daily Montanan · Nov 17, 2025
- Montana Data Centers and Water (presentation) · Montana Chamber of Commerce · April 16, 2026
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