BUTTE — The Butte-Silver Bow County Commission voted in favor of allowing the county attorney to prepare a temporary moratorium on data center development, as debate over the industry's future in the community continues on multiple fronts.
Watch here B-SB commissioners vote for a moratorium on data centers:
Commissioner Michelle Shea brought the moratorium request to the council at the Sept. 2 meeting.
"A temporary pause would provide time for additional meaningful public engagement and a thorough evaluation of the infrastructure, economic, and environmental impact and quality of life impact associated with large-scale data center development," Shea said.
About half a dozen citizens spoke in favor of the request. Jesse Gonzalez was among them.
"A moratorium approves and blocks nothing permanently. What it does do, is it bides time to write rules before someone else writes them for us. We don't want a data center in our backyard, not in our watershed, not next to our parks, and not on the backs of the people who are already stretched," Gonzalez said.
Evan Barrett also urged commissioners to support the request.
"A year and a half ago, when I testified in front of all of you and said you're in a big rush to jam something through, don't do it. You all proceeded to do it repeatedly until a real hot mess was in our hands, and it all fell apart, and so this is about buying time," Barrett said.
His comment drew grumbles from several commissioners.
Two people spoke against the request.
Commissioner Russell O'Leary spoke in favor of the moratorium, pointing to ongoing proceedings before the Montana Public Service Commission, which is still considering large load tariffs. O'Leary expressed concern about how that decision would impact the community.
"The power has... and continues to be the biggest concern throughout these developments. So, I do think this is a good idea. It will give us some time to allow that process to play out and see how they decide to.... or decide not to protect the Montana rate payers," O'Leary said.
The council voted in favor of Shea's moratorium request.
In a separate matter, a district court ruled last week against a citizens group that had sued the county clerk over rejected signatures for a ballot initiative that would have allowed a public vote on data centers. Judge Frank Joseph sided with the county in that case. The group is now appealing to the Montana Supreme Court.
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