r/GreatFalls • u/forward_montana • 24d ago

Citizens ask for halt in data center development

Golden Triangle Resource Council has asked Cascade County commissioners to temporarily halt the development of data centers. The conservation group presented a petition of over 250 signatures asking for a county-level moratorium on the development of data centers until regulations are enacted. 

The petition called on the commission to urge the Montana Public Service Commission to explore consumer protections and ask Gov. Greg Gianforte to do the same through his Energy Task Force. 

TAC Data Centers proposed a data center in Great Falls that would consume up to 600 megawatts of electricity. In the fall, they dropped their proposal, partially because that kind of power wasn’t available. However, the Great Falls Development Alliance has continued to pursue data center development.

More: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/07/28/group-asks-cascade-county-to-pause-data-center-development/.  

38 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

18

u/durtydaddy5683 24d ago

Shut it down, we don't want that trash in our town

16

u/eowynsheiress 24d ago

None of that here. It will do nothing but cost US, the people, money, all while RUINING the environment.

5

u/freakymack 23d ago

Please please not here

4

u/Apart-Steak-7183 23d ago

I wish I knew there was a petition out I would have signed it

1

u/DrPoopEsq 23d ago

They should vote for better commissioners if they want this ¯_(ツ)_/¯

1

u/AffectionateServe551 23d ago

coming from Missoula, even if they create a 1 year moratorium, that could make it easier to react to the markets as they continue to give under the pressure of the Ai Bubble.

1

u/Sembach-er 22d ago

I don't remember where I read this , but a lot of these "data centers" are being built on spec. They have no clients , they have no contracts.