Missoula County commissioners voted Thursday to impose a temporary moratorium on new and expanding data centers, citing unresolved questions about impacts on public health, water, and the environment. The one-year pause gives the county time to update its zoning regulations before any new facilities can break ground.
The interim zoning proposal, brought forward by county staff, reflects growing concern across Montana about the resource demands of large-scale data infrastructure — particularly water consumption for cooling systems and strain on rural electrical grids. Commissioners cited those potential impacts as the basis for the pause.
The move is worth watching from Helena. Lewis and Clark County has not faced a formal data center application in recent memory, but the rapid expansion of AI-driven computing demand has made Montana an increasingly attractive target for facility developers drawn to cheap land, cool air, and available power. The Missoula decision establishes a precedent for how Montana counties can use interim zoning authority to create regulatory breathing room before large industrial tech facilities arrive.