Timing of Helena utility merger hearing runs right into debate over data centers
News ClipNewstalk KGVO·Helena, Lewis And Clark County, MT·5/15/2026
A public hearing in Helena, Montana, for the Northwestern Energy and Black Hills Corporation merger is heavily influenced by the debate over powering data centers across the state. Public speakers are raising concerns about environmental impacts and reliance on coal, while company executives discuss economic growth. Specific data center projects in Missoula and Yellowstone counties are highlighted as examples of the significant energy demands under discussion.
electricitygovernmentoppositionenvironmentalzoning
Gov: Montana Public Service Commission, Missoula County
The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) is conducting a hearing in Helena to evaluate a substantial $15.4 billion merger between Northwestern Energy and Black Hills Corporation. The proceedings have quickly become centered on the broader issue of how to power data centers within Montana.
Northwestern CEO Brian Bird testified that data centers, while part of the current discussion, were not the primary impetus for the merger, stating both companies pursued data center projects independently. However, public speakers, including Beth Taylor Wilson from Missoula, voiced strong opposition, connecting the merger to the potential use of