Data Center Interim Zoning

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Project overview

Missoula County is considering the adoption of interim zoning to place a temporary pause on the development or expansion of data centers while the County develops updated zoning regulations to mitigate potential impacts to health, safety and natural resources. The proposed interim zoning would apply to both zoned and unzoned areas of Missoula County outside the Missoula city limits.

Data centers are a significant new use with distinct potential adverse impacts. Data centers are capable of consuming enormous amounts of energy and water while producing heat, noise, vibration and other impacts to their surrounding environment. This is particularly salient given the recent development of high-profile, large data center projects across the West.

By initiating interim zoning and taking a pause, Missoula County intends to investigate the circumstances that constitute the emergency, explore the potential options for mitigating the emergency, and determine the course of action that the county commissioners intend to take, if any, to mitigate the emergency. Developing clearer, more robust regulations would provide more clarity for the public, staff and applicants in terms of what the County’s residents would need to see in responsible data center development before the development occurs.


When will this be considered and who will vote on it?

The Missoula County commissioners will hold a public hearing to take public comment and consider a resolution to adopt interim zoning for data centers during a public hearing meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 9.

In-person location: 200 W. Broadway, Missoula County Courthouse Annex, Sophie Moiese Room

Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the call on your phone, call 406-272-4824, Conference ID 467 457 758#. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published online.


What are data centers?

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality defines a data center as “a physical facility that houses and runs large computer systems. Data centers typically include multiple computer servers, data storage devices and network equipment that can provide information technology infrastructure services for organizations to store, manage, process and transmit large amounts of data. A primary driver of rapidly growing demand for data centers is in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).” Data centers optimized for AI are sometimes called AI factories.


What is interim zoning and how long does it last?

Interim zoning is a tool the county commissioners can use to establish temporary zoning districts and enact temporary zoning regulations. This authority is granted to county commissioners in state law (§76-2-206, MCA). The commissioners may only adopt interim zoning to address an emergency that involves public health, safety, morals or general welfare. The purpose of the interim zoning regulations is to allow the governing body sufficient time to address the emergency.

Before adopting interim zoning, the commissioners are required to hold a public hearing and provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposal. If interim zoning is adopted, the County is required to initiate a study within 30 working days to verify that an emergency exists and to determine the course of action the governing body should take to mitigate the emergency. These regulations are enforceable for up to one year, and if necessary, the commissioners may extend the regulations one time for up to one additional year. The regulations would apply to both zoned and unzoned areas of Missoula County outside of city limits.


How is this different than regular zoning?

The primary differences between interim zoning and general county zoning are that interim zoning must be in response to an emergency; it has a less lengthy public notice and engagement period; and it is temporary.


What are the County’s current zoning regulations regarding data centers?

The County currently has zoning regulations that were developed to address the impacts of cryptocurrency mining operations, which were expanded to also apply to data centers pursuant to state law (chapter 5.10). That means that while the County has some important safeguards in place, because they were specifically designed for cryptocurrency mining operations, there are significant remaining gaps in addressing modern and rapidly evolving data center scale and technology. That includes things like the potential for significant water use, large-scale backup generation (typically diesel) to keep facilities online at all times, and other significant considerations.


Have other places done this?

Yes. More than 100 communities in 38 states have placed temporary administrative pauses (also referred to as moratoriums) on data center development in order to develop guidelines and regulations to mitigate their potential impacts. While some states allow outright bans, many of these moratoriums are temporary.

In our region, this includes (among others) four counties in western North Dakota, several Colorado counties, and Iron County, Utah, as well as cities like Spokane, Washington.


What impacts can data centers have?

Modern data centers can, in a single location, use as much or more electricity than a city (and require onsite backup generation like diesel to support that full load). They can also use the same amount of water as a mid-sized town (depending on their cooling system). The sheer scale of this technology raises meaningful new questions, considerations and the need for mitigation to protect public welfare.

As County staff have learned more about data centers, what other communities are experiencing, and the ways many of those communities are handling data centers in their own zoning regulations, it appears the County’s existing regulations are insufficient to address the potential impacts.

These impacts include, but are not limited to:

  • Water quantity and quality – The direct water requirements of data centers can be substantial, depending on the size and type of cooling system used. They can also potentially impact water quality through discharge of pollutants and effects on water temperatures.

  • Energy use – The new class of AI data centers use enormous amounts of energy. A single 37-megawatt (MW) data center would use roughly the same amount of electricity as all households in the city of Missoula. A 74 MW data center would use the same electricity as all current residential, commercial and industrial power users in the city of Missoula.

  • Noise and vibration – County regulations are largely designed for intermittent fixed sources of noise, and do not consider the impacts of continuous noise, or noise with low frequency or tonal characteristics common to data centers.

  • Heat/thermal impacts – The heat given off by a data center is equal to the amount of power it consumes. Heat is an important community health impact, and recent studies have found substantial warming downwind from data centers.

  • Air quality – Because modern data centers need to operate continuously (as opposed to industrial uses, which typically stop for a certain period of the workday and at night), they require backup power to sustain their complete operating load. This most commonly seems to take the form of diesel generators, which emit nitrogen oxides, diesel particulate matter, and other air pollutants. Without meaningful guardrails, this has the potential for localized acute air quality impacts to human health.


Could future zoning efforts ban all data centers in Missoula County?

No. Data centers are, and will ultimately continue to be, an allowable use in certain locations in the County. However, it is important to meaningfully consider these potential impacts and seek to mitigate them as best possible, including through establishing clear, achievable zoning requirements that provide more clarity and predictability for the public, County staff and prospective data center operators.


How would this impact the proposed data center in Bonner?

County staff are recommending that the proposed administrative pause (also referred to as a moratorium) would not apply to the proposal for a 7 MW data center in Bonner, because the developer has already started the application process. Even if interim zoning is enacted, the application for a 7 MW data center at the Bonner mill site would be allowed to continue as a proposed special exception to be reviewed by the Missoula Consolidated Land Use Board. Click here to learn more and follow this project.


What is a comprehensive plan and how does it relate to the interim zoning?

A comprehensive plan (or growth policy, as it is referred to in state law) outlines policies and projects intended to guide future change in the County across a range of topics. It provides the legal foundation necessary for the development of responsible policy and regulations. One of the most important topics of the new comprehensive plan is land use and development.

The following guiding principles from Missoula County’s 2016 Growth Policy (p. 2-2) provide a compass to be used in deliberation and decision-making:

• Local government should strive to make decisions that are environmentally sound, fiscally responsible and supportive of healthy communities over the long term.

• The right to a clean and healthful environment is fundamentally important. Missoula County’s natural and cultural resources make this place unique; they should be conserved, enhanced and enjoyed.

• Local government decision-making should consider the impacts of and adaptation to climate change in policy and regulatory decisions.

• Economic measures should focus on long-term economic development that is fiscally responsible and does not unduly compromise quality of life or the natural environment.

• Missoula County will strive to protect public health, safety and welfare in a fiscally responsible manner.

The county is in the beginning stages of developing a countywide comprehensive plan for the unincorporated parts of Missoula County. Unincorporated areas of Missoula County include everything outside of city limits (like Bonner, Lolo, Frenchtown, etc.) Click here to learn more and follow that project.


Public comment

Let us know what you think by logging in or creating an account and submitting your comment below. Follow this project on the right-hand side of this page to be emailed when there are updates.

Project overview

Missoula County is considering the adoption of interim zoning to place a temporary pause on the development or expansion of data centers while the County develops updated zoning regulations to mitigate potential impacts to health, safety and natural resources. The proposed interim zoning would apply to both zoned and unzoned areas of Missoula County outside the Missoula city limits.

Data centers are a significant new use with distinct potential adverse impacts. Data centers are capable of consuming enormous amounts of energy and water while producing heat, noise, vibration and other impacts to their surrounding environment. This is particularly salient given the recent development of high-profile, large data center projects across the West.

By initiating interim zoning and taking a pause, Missoula County intends to investigate the circumstances that constitute the emergency, explore the potential options for mitigating the emergency, and determine the course of action that the county commissioners intend to take, if any, to mitigate the emergency. Developing clearer, more robust regulations would provide more clarity for the public, staff and applicants in terms of what the County’s residents would need to see in responsible data center development before the development occurs.


When will this be considered and who will vote on it?

The Missoula County commissioners will hold a public hearing to take public comment and consider a resolution to adopt interim zoning for data centers during a public hearing meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 9.

In-person location: 200 W. Broadway, Missoula County Courthouse Annex, Sophie Moiese Room

Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the call on your phone, call 406-272-4824, Conference ID 467 457 758#. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published online.


What are data centers?

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality defines a data center as “a physical facility that houses and runs large computer systems. Data centers typically include multiple computer servers, data storage devices and network equipment that can provide information technology infrastructure services for organizations to store, manage, process and transmit large amounts of data. A primary driver of rapidly growing demand for data centers is in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).” Data centers optimized for AI are sometimes called AI factories.


What is interim zoning and how long does it last?

Interim zoning is a tool the county commissioners can use to establish temporary zoning districts and enact temporary zoning regulations. This authority is granted to county commissioners in state law (§76-2-206, MCA). The commissioners may only adopt interim zoning to address an emergency that involves public health, safety, morals or general welfare. The purpose of the interim zoning regulations is to allow the governing body sufficient time to address the emergency.

Before adopting interim zoning, the commissioners are required to hold a public hearing and provide the public with an opportunity to comment on the proposal. If interim zoning is adopted, the County is required to initiate a study within 30 working days to verify that an emergency exists and to determine the course of action the governing body should take to mitigate the emergency. These regulations are enforceable for up to one year, and if necessary, the commissioners may extend the regulations one time for up to one additional year. The regulations would apply to both zoned and unzoned areas of Missoula County outside of city limits.


How is this different than regular zoning?

The primary differences between interim zoning and general county zoning are that interim zoning must be in response to an emergency; it has a less lengthy public notice and engagement period; and it is temporary.


What are the County’s current zoning regulations regarding data centers?

The County currently has zoning regulations that were developed to address the impacts of cryptocurrency mining operations, which were expanded to also apply to data centers pursuant to state law (chapter 5.10). That means that while the County has some important safeguards in place, because they were specifically designed for cryptocurrency mining operations, there are significant remaining gaps in addressing modern and rapidly evolving data center scale and technology. That includes things like the potential for significant water use, large-scale backup generation (typically diesel) to keep facilities online at all times, and other significant considerations.


Have other places done this?

Yes. More than 100 communities in 38 states have placed temporary administrative pauses (also referred to as moratoriums) on data center development in order to develop guidelines and regulations to mitigate their potential impacts. While some states allow outright bans, many of these moratoriums are temporary.

In our region, this includes (among others) four counties in western North Dakota, several Colorado counties, and Iron County, Utah, as well as cities like Spokane, Washington.


What impacts can data centers have?

Modern data centers can, in a single location, use as much or more electricity than a city (and require onsite backup generation like diesel to support that full load). They can also use the same amount of water as a mid-sized town (depending on their cooling system). The sheer scale of this technology raises meaningful new questions, considerations and the need for mitigation to protect public welfare.

As County staff have learned more about data centers, what other communities are experiencing, and the ways many of those communities are handling data centers in their own zoning regulations, it appears the County’s existing regulations are insufficient to address the potential impacts.

These impacts include, but are not limited to:

  • Water quantity and quality – The direct water requirements of data centers can be substantial, depending on the size and type of cooling system used. They can also potentially impact water quality through discharge of pollutants and effects on water temperatures.

  • Energy use – The new class of AI data centers use enormous amounts of energy. A single 37-megawatt (MW) data center would use roughly the same amount of electricity as all households in the city of Missoula. A 74 MW data center would use the same electricity as all current residential, commercial and industrial power users in the city of Missoula.

  • Noise and vibration – County regulations are largely designed for intermittent fixed sources of noise, and do not consider the impacts of continuous noise, or noise with low frequency or tonal characteristics common to data centers.

  • Heat/thermal impacts – The heat given off by a data center is equal to the amount of power it consumes. Heat is an important community health impact, and recent studies have found substantial warming downwind from data centers.

  • Air quality – Because modern data centers need to operate continuously (as opposed to industrial uses, which typically stop for a certain period of the workday and at night), they require backup power to sustain their complete operating load. This most commonly seems to take the form of diesel generators, which emit nitrogen oxides, diesel particulate matter, and other air pollutants. Without meaningful guardrails, this has the potential for localized acute air quality impacts to human health.


Could future zoning efforts ban all data centers in Missoula County?

No. Data centers are, and will ultimately continue to be, an allowable use in certain locations in the County. However, it is important to meaningfully consider these potential impacts and seek to mitigate them as best possible, including through establishing clear, achievable zoning requirements that provide more clarity and predictability for the public, County staff and prospective data center operators.


How would this impact the proposed data center in Bonner?

County staff are recommending that the proposed administrative pause (also referred to as a moratorium) would not apply to the proposal for a 7 MW data center in Bonner, because the developer has already started the application process. Even if interim zoning is enacted, the application for a 7 MW data center at the Bonner mill site would be allowed to continue as a proposed special exception to be reviewed by the Missoula Consolidated Land Use Board. Click here to learn more and follow this project.


What is a comprehensive plan and how does it relate to the interim zoning?

A comprehensive plan (or growth policy, as it is referred to in state law) outlines policies and projects intended to guide future change in the County across a range of topics. It provides the legal foundation necessary for the development of responsible policy and regulations. One of the most important topics of the new comprehensive plan is land use and development.

The following guiding principles from Missoula County’s 2016 Growth Policy (p. 2-2) provide a compass to be used in deliberation and decision-making:

• Local government should strive to make decisions that are environmentally sound, fiscally responsible and supportive of healthy communities over the long term.

• The right to a clean and healthful environment is fundamentally important. Missoula County’s natural and cultural resources make this place unique; they should be conserved, enhanced and enjoyed.

• Local government decision-making should consider the impacts of and adaptation to climate change in policy and regulatory decisions.

• Economic measures should focus on long-term economic development that is fiscally responsible and does not unduly compromise quality of life or the natural environment.

• Missoula County will strive to protect public health, safety and welfare in a fiscally responsible manner.

The county is in the beginning stages of developing a countywide comprehensive plan for the unincorporated parts of Missoula County. Unincorporated areas of Missoula County include everything outside of city limits (like Bonner, Lolo, Frenchtown, etc.) Click here to learn more and follow that project.


Public comment

Let us know what you think by logging in or creating an account and submitting your comment below. Follow this project on the right-hand side of this page to be emailed when there are updates.

Let us know what you think by logging in or creating an account and submitting your comment below.

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I wholeheartedly support interim zoning to place a temporary pause on the development or expansion of data centers in Missoula County. Let's keep our landscape pristine!

Sharon Lamar About 1 hour ago
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I support the proposed interim zoning but do not support exempting the pending Bonner data center application.

The County's rationale for adopting interim zoning is that existing regulations do not adequately address the impacts of modern data centers and that additional time is needed to develop appropriate standards. If the County has determined that the current regulations are insufficient to protect public health, safety, and natural resources, it seems inconsistent to allow a pending project to proceed under those same regulations simply because it entered the application process first.

The purpose of an interim zoning ordinance is to pause development while the County evaluates emerging risks and develops thoughtful, evidence-based regulations. Exempting the project that is already under review undermines that purpose and creates the appearance that the community will bear the consequences of regulations the County itself believes are incomplete.

Missoula County has a responsibility to protect its natural resources, infrastructure, and surrounding communities before—not after—development occurs. Taking the time to establish comprehensive standards first will provide greater certainty for residents, applicants, and future decision-makers alike.

I urge the Commissioners to apply the interim zoning consistently to all proposed data centers, including the Bonner application, until the County has completed its study and adopted regulations that adequately address the unique impacts of these facilities.

cityplanner About 1 hour ago
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I am happy to see Missoula County continue to make thoughtful and community-driven decisions. I am of support of data center interim zoning, and I highly encourage that the Bonner Data Center is not grandfathered out of it. Krambu has submitted three or four failed special exception requests, and I beg to question at what point does these attempts become a waste of civic time? Unless too procedurally complicated, I do not think Krambu should be exempt from the proposed data center interim zoning. If anything, the interim zoning should give Krambu plenty of time to put together an actual approvable special exception request that does not adversely impact the human and non-human community. I hope Missoula County persists in its responsible adherence to policy, regulations, and prioritizing community health by passing a data center interim zoning policy and holding Krambu to that zoning rather than exempting them.

midtownmussels About 1 hour ago
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I am a resident of Bonner just down the highway from the proposed data center on the mill site. I am very much in favor of these interim zoning regulations, but disappointed to learn they may not impact the proposed data center in Bonner, especially considering that the company involved has yet to submit a complete application. Including the proposed Bonner data center in these proposed regulations is crucial to protect the Blackfoot river, and the health of all of us living in the impacted area.

KatCowley About 2 hours ago
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I'm excited to see the county moving towards a pause and interim zoning for data centers. I'm still very concerned about the 7 megawatt data center proposed for Bonner not being effected by this zoning. Given potential major effects to public health and welfare in the Bonner community and all downstream communities, extending the pause to include the 7 megawatt proposal is critical. Although this may go against precedent, unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions to protect the health and welfare of the community.

Michael W About 4 hours ago
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Glad to see the community push for interim zoning! More time is needed to allow for thoughtful decision making that prioritizes our community and our special way of life in this precious valley

Adoll 1 day ago
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Hello
Very concerned how these Data Centers will affect our way of life in Montana & our country. These Data Centers will take enormous amounts of energy, electricity. water. Air quality will be affected. We deal with wildfires during the summer months & air quality at times is very poor and then we have to deal with the data center poisoning our air as well. The noise pollution & the cost impacts it puts on the citizens. Also there is no great job opportunities after they are built. At this time I strongly say NO Data Centers. There are so many unknowns & these are not going to improve our way of life, only destroy. Thank you for the opportunity to share my voice. Vote NO

Di 1 day ago
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I support Interim Zoning.

Ian M 2 days ago
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I’m happy the county is considering this move, but it’s insane that it doesn’t include the proposed Bonner Mill data center. To state that there’s a potential emergency and that the protection of water and health is essential to everyone, only to exclude those who will be impacted by the data center in Bonner is heartbreaking as a resident. Considering that Krambu hasn’t submitted a satisfactory special exception application, after multiple attempts, I think the Bonner Mill data center should be included in this moratorium.

SElizabeth 3 days ago
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I strongly support Missoula County adopting interim zoning to place a temporary pause on the development or expansion of data centers while the County develops updated zoning regulations to mitigate potential impacts to health, safety and natural resources. While disappointing the Bonner proposal wouldn’t be included, this would still be a step in the right direction for our community. Thank you for considering this!

B. 3 days ago
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Page last updated: 26 Jun 2026, 04:31 PM