Data Center Interim Zoning

On July 9, the Missoula County commissioners adopted a countywide one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers outside of the City limits. This temporary moratorium followed substantial public engagement and allows staff time to evaluate the impacts of data centers and determine the best way to regulate them to protect public health, safety and the natural environment.

The moratorium is effective for one year unless replaced by new zoning regulations. The expiration date of the moratorium is July 8, 2027. The commissioners may choose to extend the moratorium for a second year, after another legally advertised public hearing.

As a relatively new use on our landscape, data centers can potentially create significant adverse impacts that the current Missoula County Zoning Regulations do not adequately address. Some examples of these impacts include substantial energy consumption, water quantity and quality impacts, air quality impacts, heat, noise and vibration, among others. The moratorium allows time for staff to research data centers and determine what options are available for preventing or mitigating adverse impacts.

The moratorium was adopted through interim zoning, which is used when an emergency situation exists. As required by law, the County initiated a study on July 10 to verify the circumstances of the emergency and identify potential options to address it.

Over the next eight weeks, County staff are planning to complete a draft of this study, with the goal of presenting it to the public in early November at both the Missoula County Consolidated Land Use Board and the Board of County Commissioners meetings. This page is intended to invite feedback from the public on data center impacts and ways to possibly reduce or eliminate those impacts. The County is committed to listening to residents’ concerns and ideas, with a tentative plan to conduct the two previously mentioned special presentation sessions (to MCCLUB and the Commission) during the first part of November.

Click here to read the Data Center Interim Zoning Resolution.

Anticipated timeline

Data Center study presentation: Tuesday, Oct. 27. 6 p.m. (virtual not available)

• In-person location: 1101 South Ave W, Missoula County Fairgrounds, Home Arts Building

Presentation to the Missoula Consolidated Land Use Board: Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m.

• In-person location: 200 W. Broadway, Missoula County Courthouse, Sophie Moiese Room
• Virtual option: Residents can attend the meeting via Microsoft Teams. To join the meeting on your device, follow the links on the agenda that will be published on the Consolidated Land Use Board page.

Presentation at the Missoula County commissioners’ public hearing meeting: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2 p.m.

This page will be updated periodically, and we anticipate publishing a draft study here on Oct. 21, two weeks prior to the special presentations where there will be opportunity for public comment. More details will be published as the project evolves.