Montana Data Center News

Dec 2, 2025 · RMI

The Five Types of Electro-Industrial States

Rocky Mountain Institute presents a typology classifying US states into five electro-industrial archetypes.

Main announcement/action: RMI authors classify states into five archetypes — Momentum Hubs (Arizona, California), Fast‑Track Builders (Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, Idaho), Policy Champions (New York, Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania), Open‑Door Starters (Vermont, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa), and Early‑Stage Starters (Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Maine, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, Arkansas). The typology is based on policy reliability, regulatory ease, economic capacity, physical infrastructure (power and interconnection), and market momentum.
Background and details: The analysis highlights that market momentum and policy reliability should operate in tandem; low regulatory burdens accelerate short-term investment but may strain local housing and infrastructure without accompanying policy ambition. The authors reference the report GREASE Lightning as a policy playbook for designing investment-led, state-driven electro-industrial strategies.

Oct 2, 2025

Hitachi Energy, Grid United Advance North Plains Connector to Link Eastern and Western Grids

Hitachi Energy and Grid United have formalized an Engineering Services Agreement (ESA) to advance the North Plains Connector (NPC) HVDC project.

Announcement details: The ESA (announced Oct. 2, 2025) tasks Hitachi Energy with early-stage engineering services for the ±525 kV, 3-GW, ~420-mile HVDC line between Colstrip, Montana and endpoints in Center and St. Anthony, North Dakota, including technical specifications for two HVDC converter stations, valve hall layouts, control-system architecture, harmonic mitigation studies, dynamic and steady-state modeling, and AC–DC interface definitions for integration with MISO, SPP, and WECC. Grid United will advance corridor refinement, land-rights acquisition, stakeholder engagement, environmental permitting support, and supply-chain sequencing for long-lead items; procurement timelines will be aligned with permitting and construction schedules.
Background and concrete project details: The NPC is a $3.2 billion project that received $700 million from DOE’s GRIP program (with a $2.8 billion recipient cost share); Grid United expects approvals in 2026, potential construction begin in 2028, and operation in 2032. An Astrapé/PNNL-reviewed evaluation estimated an ELCC of ~3,550 MW and quantified reliability benefits (~1,800 MW for WECC, 1,350 MW for SPP, 400 MW for MISO). The ESA is an enabling engineering step but does not constitute a final investment decision.

Sep 3, 2025

New Data Center Developments: September 2025

DataCenterKnowledge published a curated roundup of recent global data center project announcements and large power and financing deals.

Key development summary: The roundup details multiple major projects and deals, including Equinix’s new partnerships with Radiant, ULC-Energy, and Stellaria for next-gen nuclear power and expanded solid-oxide fuel cell use with Bloom Energy; Caterpillar agreed with Joule Capital Partners to provide 4 GW of CHP power for a planned Utah campus (target launch sometime next year); Meta’s Hyperion Louisiana campus is expected to consume up to 5 GW; CoreWeave bought a 102-acre campus for $322 million; Vantage revealed plans to invest over $25 billion in a 1.4 GW / 1,200-acre Texas campus; EdgeConneX and Lambda are developing a 30+ MW dual-city AI data center in Chicago and Atlanta; Oracle / Elea / Rio de Janeiro target 1.5 GW by 2027 (expandable to 3.2 GW by 2032) for ‘Rio AI City’.
Background and technical/financial details: The article frames projects against record-breaking demand and grid limitations; it notes energy and cooling approaches such as CHP and captured waste heat, solid-oxide fuel cells, high-voltage battery storage, and CDC Australia’s proposed 200 MW campus with a closed-loop zero-water primary cooling system. It also lists financing and deal figures: QTS announcing a $10 billion campus, STACK investing $1.66 billion in Johor, NEXTDC adding A$3.5 billion new debt within A$6.4 billion total facilities, and Keppel raising $4.9 billion this year toward a $150 billion funds target by 2030.

Aug 12, 2025 · RMI

Reality Check: We Have What’s Needed to Reliably Power the Data Center Boom, and It’s Not Coal Plants

RMI authors (Gabriella Tosado, Ashtin Massie, Joe Daniel) state that clean, resilient resources already exist to meet data center-driven electricity demand growth and that keeping aging coal plants online for reliability is misguided.

Confirmed findings & data:>20% projected load growth by 2035 driven by data centers; Virginia accounts for 13% of global and 25% of US reported data center capacity; coal plant capacity accreditation often ~83% (ESIG/PJM) with examples like Colstrip at 54%; average coal cold-start >12 hours and typical ramp 4% per minute (~20+ minutes for large events); MISO congestion costs > $1 billion/year documented.
Planned initiatives & concrete solutions: RMI finds >95% of future demand can be met with clean options including 50+ GW energy efficiency, 60 GW of VPPs by 2030 (with programs enrollable in under 6 months; Virginia bill requires 450 MW VPPs), 80+ GW incremental peak capacity from grid-enhancing transmission, 14 GW of retiring fossil sites available for clean repowering, and >30 GW Power Couples under $100/MWh (and >50 GW under $200/MWh). These are presented as implementable options rather than speculative outcomes.

Apr 22, 2025

Alberta prioritizing U.S. data center needs, former deputy minister says

Apr 13, 2025

America's Dirtiest Coal Power Plants Given Exemptions from Pollution Rules to Help Power AI

The article highlights that Talen Energy Corp.’s coal-fired power plant in Colstrip, Montana, has received a two-year exemption from pollution rules under the Trump administration. This exemption is part of a broader initiative aimed at easing regulations on coal-fired plants as a response to increased electrical demand from AI data centers. The waiver permits the facility to avoid stringent controls for mercury and other pollutants until July 2029, suggesting a governmental push to prioritize coal energy amidst rising AI technology needs. Environmental concerns arise as this plant is noted for having the highest emission rate of fine particulate matter among U.S. coal plants, raising serious health implications for communities nearby.

Mar 6, 2025

Lawmakers Scrutinize Power Sector’s Future as Surging Demand Raises Alarms

US-based Basin Electric Power Cooperative has raised concerns in Congress regarding the escalating demand for electricity, specifically noting a significant increase tied to AI-driven data centers and industrial loads. They estimate a need for nearly $10 billion in compliance costs due to new regulations alongside an expected 60% increase in rates by 2035. The demand for natural gas is projected to triple from 2024 to 2030, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced natural gas infrastructure to maintain grid reliability. Furthermore, PJM Interconnection’s forecasts predict a summer peak demand of up to 220,000 MW by 2039, driven by demand from emerging technologies and manufacturing.

Feb 5, 2025 · Telborg

Black Hills Corp. Reports 2024 Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Results and Initiates 2025 Earnings Guidance | Black Hills Service Company, LLC

US-based Black Hills Corp. reported its 2024 financial results, highlighting a 4.3% growth in EPS to $3.91. The company increased its five-year capital forecast by 10% to $4.7 billion for 2025-2029, with $1.0 billion allocated for 2025. Significant investments include $350 million for the Ready Wyoming electric transmission expansion project and $118 million for system investments in Kansas Gas. The company also announced new annual revenues from rate reviews: $15 million for Iowa Gas, $25 million for Arkansas Gas, $20 million for Colorado Gas, and $14 million for Wyoming Gas. Black Hills Corp. continues to focus on regulatory and growth initiatives, with a strong commitment to infrastructure investment.

Feb 1, 2024

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