Missoula County, Montana, Releases Draft Data Center Impact Study: Recommends Zoning Rules Instead of a Ban, with the Moratorium Possibly Extended a Year
Missoula County, Montana, released a draft study of data center impacts on October 27, providing a new basis for how the county should regulate such facilities. This past July, the Missoula County Commission adopted a one-year emergency ban on new or expanded data centers; as Montana law requires, the county then undertook a study to determine whether data centers pose an actual threat, and the draft was published on October 27.
Swain Newman, the county's climate action program manager, said the study found that data centers can have very real impacts on health, safety and the environment that the county must take seriously. The study covers impacts on energy, water resources, noise, wildlife and more, as well as the county's regulatory options.
The study also concludes that an outright ban on data centers would likely not be permitted, because Montana's Right to Compute Act protects private ownership and use of computing resources, including data centers, and limits government regulation. It therefore recommends adopting carefully designed zoning rules, working with state legislators and utility regulators, and extending the ban for another year in hopes that state law will change in the next legislative session.
The county held a study presentation at 6 p.m. on October 27 at the Missoula County Fairgrounds, and more public meetings to take comment are scheduled for early November.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 蒙大拿州米苏拉县法院大楼正门。 / The Missoula County Courthouse in Missoula, Montana.
