Missoula County will update its data center zoning regulations after the commissioners this week unanimously accepted a study outlining the impacts of those developments and its recommendations.
“It’s commendable that we collectively are at the tip of the spear here in the state of Montana, and even maybe nationally, in terms of proactively getting out in front of this issue rather than just being responsive or in a defensive posture all of the time,” Commissioner Dave Strohmaier said ahead of the vote Thursday.
Commissioners Strohmaier, Josh Slotnick and Juanita Vero thanked the county staff for their work on the study and members of the public for giving their input before all voting to approve the study’s recommendations.
The study was part of the county’s interim zoning process, which started in July when the commissioners approved a temporary moratorium on data centers. The study assessed 13 categories of data center impacts on public health and the environment, including noise, water, heat, air, wildlife and climate change. It also evaluated the legal context in which the county can regulate data centers.
In a short presentation, county staff outlined some of the potential impacts from data centers discussed in the study.
Patrick Swart, a county planner, said data centers can vary in scale, and while not all impact all 13 categories explored in the study, they can potentially do real harm in each area.
“It’s not just these enormous hyperscale data centers that can have these impacts,” Swart said. “To some degree the impact is proportional to the size of the facility, … but even on the smaller end, we’re still seeing some impacts.”
The study found that the average modern data center built today requires about 40 megawatts of electricity, which is equivalent to the power demand of all the homes in Missoula, Swart said.
Data center cooling systems can also use significant amounts of water and could affect water quality through discharging chemicals or warm water into the environment, Swart said. The facilities require backup generators, most often run on diesel or natural gas, that would impact air quality even if they were only run for a short time, he said.
Svein Newman, the county’s climate action program manager, said during the meeting that data centers’ power use is driving an increase in greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate climate change. The county’s existing regulations requiring data center developments to use 100% new renewable energy will be part of the updated zoning proposal, he said. Data centers also generate heat that can warm the surrounding area and negatively affect public health, Newman said.
The study also found that low-frequency and tonal noise from data centers is among the most common complaints from adjacent communities and that government regulations do not adequately address those issues, Newman said.
While the state’s Right to Compute Act likely rules out a local ban, it allows for specific regulation of identifiable impacts, Newman said. Countywide zoning has limitations, and many impacts would be regulated by the state Legislature or the Montana Public Service Commission, he said.
The study recommends the county develop updated “thorough and protective” zoning regulations, advocate to the Public Service Commission that data centers cover their own electricity costs and consider getting involved in data center issues in the Legislature.
County staff will not wait to start developing new regulations, but recommended the commission wait to finalize them until after the upcoming legislative session. Newman said that, because of that and the lengthy legal timeline for adopting zoning regulations, the study also recommends extending the moratorium for a second year before it expires.
About 20 people commented during the meeting in favor of increased regulation of data centers and extending the county’s moratorium. That included representatives from several climate and conservation groups: the Montana Environmental Information Center, Climate Smart Missoula, Montana Conservation Voters and the Montana chapter of the Sierra Club.
“We really support the approach that staff has outlined here today in recommending because we think it offers the most durable pathway to getting regulations on the books that can protect our community for the long term,” said Abby Huseth, deputy director of Climate Smart Missoula. “We encourage staff and leadership to continue to explore the strongest possible options to the extent of the county’s authority for protecting our community.”
Travis Ross, an environmental health manager for Missoula Public Health, said the state’s current regulations do not address all of data centers’ possible impacts on air and water. Data center development could impact factors like heat and energy costs, which affect how long people live, Ross said.
Several Missoula County residents also voiced support for the recommendations and concerns about data centers’ impacts on the environment and the local tourism economy.
“No number of jobs justifies putting our air, water and health at risk and our economy depends on this place,” Jennifer Stephens said.
Some residents also described larger concerns about what the data centers would be used for, including weapons and surveillance, and about the “AI bubble” bursting and leaving communities on the hook for facility costs.
“I would like to highlight the limitations of just having zoning regulations for AI data centers, because even if we can mitigate the effects of them on a local level, they still can be used for extremely nefarious and unethical purposes outside of the local community,” Wyatt Murphy-Kangas said.
Many people asked the county to extend the moratorium.
“Your study found potential harm in 13 areas, from our rivers to our power bills,” said Nathan Stephens, an organizer with the Montanans Against Data Centers Action Team. “That’s reason enough for the full two years.”
Commissioner Strohmaier said there will be no gap between the end of the existing moratorium and the extension or new permanent regulations.
“Either we have permanent zoning in place by the end of this moratorium, or the more likely case, in a separate action from today, is that we will extend the moratorium,” he said.
The updated zoning regulations will undergo a public engagement process and hearings before the land use board and the county commission ahead of adoption.
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