Opponents push to stop Broadview data center
Opponents in Yellowstone County are pushing local officials to enact interim zoning for a massive data center planned near Broadview, which would pause development for one year. County officials, however, believe a new state law, the Right to Compute Act, restricts their ability to implement such measures. A potential lawsuit from the developer, Quantica Infrastructure, is also a concern for the county.
Opponents in Yellowstone County are actively seeking to implement interim zoning regulations to pause a large data center project proposed by Quantica Infrastructure near Broadview, Montana. Local residents and attorney Gene Jarussi urged county commissioners to enact a one-year development freeze, citing public health and safety concerns related to potential noise and light pollution.
However, Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito argued that Montana's new "Right to Compute Act," passed in 2025, likely prevents the county from imposing such restrictions. The law, described as the first of its kind in the U.S., requires government actions that hamper technology freedom to be narrowly tailored and to have no less restrictive means available. Twito warned that enacting interim zoning could trigger a lawsuit from Quantica Infrastructure.
Despite Jarussi's counter-arguments, which suggest the new law allows local governments to prevent emergencies and that case law supports proactive measures, the Board of County Commissioners is not expected to act on the interim zoning request. Commissioners expressed concerns about the limits of their authority under state law and the potential financial liabilities of a lawsuit. The Montana Association of Counties also indicated that the Right to Compute Act sets a high bar for government intervention, focusing strictly on public health and safety.