Jefferson County, Montana, urged to enact data center moratorium
An opinion piece advocates for Jefferson County, Montana, to implement a moratorium on data center development. The author argues that current state laws leave counties exposed to unregulated growth, leading to concerns about resource consumption and environmental impact. The piece urges county commissioners to take proactive measures to protect local interests.
Sara Fleming, a resident of Clancy, Montana, is advocating for Jefferson County to implement a moratorium on data center development, citing a lack of adequate state-level regulation. Fleming argues that Montana's current statutes, such as MCA 85-2-306, allow industrial users like data centers to drill "thermal exempt wells" and consume vast amounts of water without standard public notice or environmental review, leaving counties vulnerable to proposals like Thunderhead's in Jefferson County. She highlights the significant energy and water demands of data centers, noting that counties across Montana are struggling to respond to and regulate this rapid development.
Fleming proposes a moratorium, which would temporarily ban data center zoning, permitting, and construction, referencing MCA 76-2-206, which grants county commissioners the authority for temporary emergency regulations. She points to successful moratoriums or bans in over 100 U.S. counties and cities, including Denver, Reno, Minneapolis, and Smithfield, Rhode Island, as models for local action. While acknowledging state-level efforts in Florida, Oklahoma, and Minnesota, Fleming emphasizes the immediate power of counties to act. She urges Jefferson County Commissioners Doolittle and Kirsch to proactively establish a moratorium to assess environmental and economic impacts, protect local resources, and avoid a reactive stance like that seen in Broadview, Montana, where residents are fighting a large proposed data center.