Bonner crowd pushes back on proposed data center
A proposed data center by Idaho-based company Krambu in Bonner, Montana, is facing strong local opposition due to concerns about pollution, electric grid strain, and application inconsistencies. Residents are calling for Missoula County to adopt a moratorium on new data center development. The project's final approval is pending before the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board.
A public meeting at the KettleHouse Taproom in Bonner, Montana, drew a large crowd of residents expressing strong opposition to a proposed data center by Idaho-based company Krambu. The event was organized by Missoula Neighbors United, which highlighted concerns about potential pollution, increased strain on the local electric grid, and alleged inconsistencies in Krambu’s application for the project.
Paul Barmore, one of the meeting's organizers, emphasized the community's unified goal to prevent what many see as a "mining" industry for data. He noted the high turnout as an encouraging sign of widespread concern over the project's unknowns and impacts on the area.
Opponents are advocating for Missoula County to implement moratoriums on all new data center developments. The final decision regarding the Bonner data center's approval is slated to go before the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board, though a specific date for the next hearing has not yet been scheduled.