Missoula County adopts one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers

Missoula County commissioners on July 9 adopted a countywide interim zoning overlay that places a one-year moratorium on permitting new or expanded data centers in the county’s unincorporated areas.

Karen Hughes, Missoula County planning director, and planner Jenny Dixon presented the proposal as a time-limited pause intended to allow staff and the public to study and address impacts county rules do not currently cover. Hughes said the county’s existing data-center rules —originally written for cryptocurrency operations in 2021— do not fully address “substantial energy consumption, water quality and quantity, air quality, heat, noise, vibration and other potential impacts.” She warned that backup generation for large facilities can be equivalent to the power needs of thousands of households and that wastewater handling and chemicals used in cooling systems raise water-quality concerns.

The moratorium, effective July 9, 2026, and set to expire July 8, 2027 (or when replaced by new regulations), will be accompanied by a county-initiated study to verify the emergency, examine options to address identified harms and recommend regulatory changes. John Hart, county attorney, told the commission that state law allows interim zoning for up to one year and that counties lack authority to enact a permanent ban without legislative authorization.

More than three dozen speakers took part in public comment, overwhelmingly urging the moratorium and many asking for a longer pause. Romaira, a composer and tech entrepreneur, said, “Please adopt the interim zoning. Protect our water, our energy, our land and the people who live here.” Nathan Stevens, a longtime local, recounted the Bonner review process and the number of application deficiencies staff identified, arguing that the gaps between submitted applications and developers’ possible ambitions justify a pause.

Community organizations including Climate Smart Missoula, the Sierra Club, the Montana Environmental Information Center and Missoula Neighbors United voiced support. Speakers raised multiple technical and social concerns: potential PFAS and other “forever chemical” contamination, large water withdrawals or heat rejection to rivers and aquifers, local air-quality impacts from backup generators, continuous low-frequency noise and vibration, and limited local benefit relative to environmental and infrastructure costs.

Commissioner Slotnick moved to adopt the resolution establishing the countywide interim zoning overlay district; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

The resolution directs staff to begin the required study of the emergency and to return with recommended regulations. The county will also accept public input during the study period; any extension beyond the initial year would require an additional public hearing and findings explaining why more time is necessary.