Data center opponents seek interim zoning as Yellowstone County official cites roadblock from new state law
Yellowstone County residents are pushing for interim zoning to pause a large data center project by Quantica Infrastructure near Broadview due to concerns about noise and light pollution. However, county officials believe a new state law, the Right to Compute Act, prevents them from enacting such restrictions. The Board of County Commissioners is not expected to act on the request, fearing a lawsuit from Quantica Infrastructure.
Residents of Yellowstone County are actively opposing a large data center project proposed by Quantica Infrastructure outside Broadview, Montana. Opponents are advocating for interim zoning as a tool to pause the nearly 8-square-mile development for one year, allowing the county to gather more information and consider permanent restrictions, citing potential nuisances like noise and light pollution.
However, Yellowstone County officials, including County Attorney Scott Twito, contend that a new state law, the Right to Compute Act, passed in 2025 (likely 2023), restricts their ability to enact such interim zoning. The law, described as the first of its kind in the U.S., requires government actions that hamper technology use to be narrowly tailored and not enacted if less restrictive means are available. Twito expressed concerns that enacting interim zoning would likely trigger a lawsuit from Quantica Infrastructure.
Attorney Gene Jarussi, representing the opponents, argued at a recent meeting that the state law still allows local governments to prevent emergencies and that case law supports proactive measures. Despite these arguments and public pleas from a dozen residents, the Board of County Commissioners is not expected to act on the interim zoning request, focusing instead on the limits of their authority and potential financial liabilities under the new state law.