MISSOULA — AI data centers have been a hot topic in Missoula over the past several months, with many community members celebrating the failure of a proposed AI data center in Bonner.
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On Thursday, the Missoula County commissioners passed a year-long moratorium on new AI data centers countywide. The public came out in support for the moratorium.
The moratorium was brought forth for the county to give itself more time to study the impacts of data centers, and then followed by regulations commissioners can put into place.
The vote on the moratorium, which is now in effect immediately, comes shortly after the community rallied against a proposed AI data center in Bonner, which ultimately failed to get off the ground.
“This project showed how much can slip through without stronger rules in place. It took five rounds of applications, 29 documented deficiencies, and months of sustained public attention to surface issues like contradictory water use figures and unaddressed Legionella risk,” one community member said.
Beyond supporting the moratorium, many community members echoed a sentiment of knowing that there was more to come, as a zoning moratorium won’t last forever.
“This is a fight that will be here until the end of time now because that's where we're at now. There's no point of looking back and believing that we can rebuild. We have to save whatever is left here. We have to rely on each other, build kin with one another, build economies off of each other, build real jobs, build affordable homes, get affordable groceries. There's just so many things that go into this. And so I just want you all to keep your head in it, keep your children's head in it, because again, your children's going to have to fight this fight,” one community member said.
Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick addressed the community comments around that theme shortly before he voted yes.
“You are going to have to exert the same pressure on the Legislature, on our delegation, and go to Helena and write letters and speak your mind and do all the organizing that you've done today. You're going to have to do it again. And I'm sorry for that.”
The county has the option to extend the moratorium, which would require another public meeting.
