Montana Data Center News

Jul 28, 2026

Climate Change Solutions - July 28, 2026

Environmental and Energy Study Institute has published a Climate Change Solutions newsletter highlighting climate data access, data center health impacts, nuclear energy, and several congressional bills.

The newsletter spotlights a new online platform, Climate.us, and an interview with Rebecca Lindsey, who discusses filling the gap left by the now-defunct Climate.gov.
It also summarizes recent legislative activity, including the House passage of the Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act (H.R. 8790) and Senate movement on the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (S.4949) and the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (S.5045).
A separate article in the newsletter discusses data center health impacts, noting emissions from on-site diesel generators and from natural gas and coal power plants used to power data centers.

Jul 23, 2026

White House Expands Data Center Ratepayer Pledge as Congress Moves to Codify Protections

The White House expanded its voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge to 187 utilities, electric cooperatives, and data-center developers, while Congress advanced the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act from committee 52-0.

The White House said the pledge now covers 187 organizations plus 23 governors, and the coalition “protects” 263 million Americans; signatories commit to fund generation and grid upgrades for their data-center loads without shifting costs to other ratepayers.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced H.R. 9340 on July 21; the bill would require state regulators and nonregulated utilities to consider a large-load standard for sites with at least 100 MW peak demand and recover the full incremental cost of grid upgrades. New York’s Executive Order 62 separately put permits for 50 MW+ data centers on hold pending an environmental review.

Jul 8, 2026

Plans for 29MW data center in Bonner, Montana, dropped

Krambu’s proposed data center in Bonner, Missoula County, Montana has been withdrawn after the building owner pulled support, so the project will not move forward.

Mike Heisey of Bonner Property Development, LLC said he withdrew his signature from the Krambu special exception application after hearing public concerns, and that the company will not be moving forward with the proposed data center at 9314 Bonner Mill Road.
The project had been expected to reach 29MW at full build-out, with an initial 7MW phase, and it was being considered while Missoula County discussed a possible moratorium and updated zoning rules for data centers; a Change.org petition against the site had gathered more than 48,800 signatures.
Krambu says it was founded in 2017 and offers Nvidia-based GPU hardware, Supermicro servers, colocation, cloud services, and up to 250kW rack densities via direct-to-chip liquid cooling.
The company also lists other projects, including a 10MW site in Spokane, Washington, a 6MW site in Oregon, a 30MW greenfield project in Pennsylvania with Paradox Data, and future pipeline projects in Montana, Ohio, Illinois, and Alberta, Canada.

Jun 24, 2026

Construction employment rises in 30 states over past year, AGC reports

The Associated General Contractors of America reported that construction employment increased in 30 states and the District of Columbia between May 2025 and May 2026.

Main announcement: AGC reported state construction employment increased in 30 states and D.C. between May 2025 and May 2026; Texas added 18,700 jobs (2.1%), North Carolina added 13,600, Wisconsin added 9,000, and Wisconsin posted the largest percentage increase (6.2%); California recorded the largest annual decline at 13,100 jobs (−1.5%).
Monthly detail and risks: From April to May, construction employment increased in 23 states and D.C., declined in 22 states, and was unchanged in 5 states; monthly leaders included Texas (+3,600) and Wisconsin (+2,900). AGC officials Ken Simonson and Jeffrey D. Shoaf cautioned that opposition to data center projects and uncertainty over federal transportation funding pose threats to future construction job growth.

Jun 3, 2026

PJM Monitor: AI Data Center Growth Reshaping Power Markets

PJM Interconnection’s independent market monitor has released a report arguing that large-scale data center expansion—especially AI-related demand growth—has become the primary driver of recent capacity market stress in PJM.

Main announcement: The monitor reports that data center load growth has added more than $23 billion to PJM capacity market costs since 2025 and is the primary reason for recent tight supply-demand balances and high auction prices; reported auction shortfalls widened from 208.7 MW (2026/2027 BRA) to more than 6.5 GW (2027/2028 BRA), and PJM serves 67 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C. The report proposes a “bring your own new generation” (BYONG) model in which large data centers secure dedicated generation via bilateral contracts or reliability mechanisms before interconnection.
Background and other details: The filing context includes a December FERC complaint by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and PJM filings in February acknowledging that prior planning (the 2022 Quadrennial Review) did not model rapid data center load increases. The complaint cites >3,300 projects in the interconnection queue, and the monitor warns that failing to secure dedicated generation could lead to curtailment and that direct bilateral deals bypassing PJM markets could create extreme price impacts and reliability risks.

Jun 1, 2026 · Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Targeted Pressure: How Chinese Manufacturing Competition Impacts US States

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has published a report finding Chinese industrial policy is reshaping global manufacturing and harming industries across every U.S. state.

Main finding & method: The ITIF report (June 1, 2026) analyzes one “national power industry” per state using County Business Patterns employment data, HS/SITC export proxies, and global market-share series to conclude that state-backed Chinese subsidies, export pushes, and overcapacity are driving down prices and pressuring U.S. producers in sectors such as semiconductors, batteries, aircraft, and fabricated metals.
Key facts, numbers, and timelines:China plans ~$150 billion in semiconductor investment through 2030 vs. $52 billion under the U.S. CHIPS funding; the report cites $63.3 billion Chinese semiconductor spending in H1 2025, TSMC’s $165 billion U.S. investment announcement, GE Appliances’ $490 million Appliance Park investment (2025), and state/national export shares and HS-code trade series used throughout the analyses.

May 20, 2026

Climate Change Solutions - May 19, 2026

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) published its “Climate Change Solutions” newsletter summarizing recent policy updates, events, and briefings.

Main announcements: EESI highlights the release of text for the BUILD America 250 Act by Rep. Sam Graves and Rep. Rick Larsen to reinvest in roadways, public transportation, freight rail, and bridges; the newsletter also reports that the President signed S.1020 (P.L.119-90) extending hydropower construction deadlines. Names and bill identifiers: Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), S.1020 / P.L.119-90.
Background and related actions: The newsletter summarizes congressional activity including H.R.1346 (Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025) on E15 biofuel sales, advancement of the SECURE Grid Act (H.R.7257), and the IOOS Reauthorization Act (S.2126 / H.R.2294); it also promotes EXPO 2026 (June 24, Rayburn House Office Building 2168, 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., online option) and references EESI briefings and media coverage on data center water use and noise pollution.

May 19, 2026

Three Rural Providers Band Together To Build 2,000-Mile Fiber Route

Dakota Carrier Network, Range and WIN Technology announced a joint $700 million investment to build the Heartland Fiber Project expanding high-capacity fiber across the American heartland.

Main announcement: The three providers committed $700 million to deploy the Heartland Fiber Project across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois; construction begins this summer with deployment expected over the next one to two years and the network will include high-fiber-count infrastructure and additional conduit capacity to scale bandwidth for AI hyperscale data center demand.
Background and details: The project targets markets offering available power, land and lower cooling costs to attract hyperscalers; CEOs Rob Johnstone (Range) and Seth Arndorfer (Dakota Carrier Network) framed the deal as improving scale/resiliency and competitiveness for hyperscaler investment. The article also references Zayo’s recent acquisition of Crown Castle fiber assets as sector context.

Mar 24, 2026

The Northwest Hasn’t Learned the Lessons of WPPSS (“Whoops”)

Laura Feinstein (Sightline Institute) argues that leaders should avoid building new gas-fired power plants in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and instead prioritize data center flexibility, demand response, energy efficiency, and transmission expansion to address near-term resource adequacy concerns.

Main action and evidence: The piece urges policymakers and regulators to require utilities and large electricity users to exhaust large-load flexibility and demand-side measures before approving fossil fuel infrastructure; cites a September 2025 E3 Phase 1 analysis that reported an 8.7 GW shortfall by 2030 (commonly rounded to 9 GW), which shrinks to roughly 5.6 GW when already planned resources (e.g., Carriger solar, PacifiCorp conversions) are counted. The article highlights alternatives with concrete figures: a Duke University estimate that 3.8 GW could be gained if data centers reduced power about one week per year, and a Sylvan Energy Analytics review showing data-center curtailment can eliminate the gap in multiple scenarios.
Background and concrete details: The article documents utilities’ recent actions and legislative context: PSE has contracted for six new gas turbines (filing redacted), Grant PUD approved a (temporary) 12 MW natural gas plant, PSE’s voluntary demand response currently reduces <2% of peak demand and Washington law requires ramping to 10% savings starting 2027; it notes the U.S. Department of Energy used the E3 report to justify keeping a coal plant online past Dec 31, 2025. The author characterizes the piece as an opinion/analysis urging precaution and policy alternatives rather than announcing a new transaction or partnership.

Mar 18, 2026

Why Alberta is right to seek stronger electricity interties with its neighbours

The Government of Alberta (Minister Nathan Neudorf) is publicly pushing to expand and restore electricity interties with British Columbia and Montana, including adding at least one new intertie and strengthening existing ones.

Main announcement: Minister Nathan Neudorf said Alberta aims to add two more interties or strengthen existing ones (currently three) to raise import/export capability; restoring the Alberta-B.C.-Montana intertie to full capacity and building an additional intertie could raise Alberta’s interconnectivity toward ~10% (from current ~3%) and is explicitly framed as a provincial policy push to enable more low-cost electricity trade. Key figures: Alberta installed capacity 23,300 MW, current effective import ~650 MW, AESO contingency procurement ~500 MW, and the intertie physical import limit ~950 MW (operating at 40–60% of that physical ability).
Background and project details: Pembina cites studies and cost estimates: a new intertie could cost more than $2 billion and approach $3 billion depending on route/design; AESO estimates $150 million to restore the existing line; $1.5–2.7 billion to procure 750–1,500 MW of batteries for frequency response; combined investment $4.6–5.8 billion with projected annual system cost savings of $200 million at 1,500 MW interconnection. Also cited: GDP impact estimates (restoration → $870M increase for Alberta, $183M for B.C.; additional intertie → $1.2B and $574M respectively) and construction job estimates 4,850–5,250 over five years.

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