Data Centers Could Triple Montana Energy Demand

Tech Expansion Raises Questions About Energy Costs

You may have noticed an increasing presence of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency in the news lately.

Well, it's not about to slow down anytime soon, as both of these technology industries are going to play a bigger role in daily life—but who will pay for all that energy?

Montana PSC & NorthWestern Energy To Address Data Center Impact

The Daily Montanan is reporting that the Montana Public Service Commission will be hosting a public meeting in the coming days, which will be discussing new data centers popping up around the Big Sky.

NorthWestern Energy has also been invited to the meeting to explain how they plan to provide energy to the proposed data centers in Butte, Billings, and Great Falls.

Concern Over Potential Energy Cost Increases For Montanans

If you didn't know, these data centers require MASSIVE amounts of both energy and water to keep them running and cool.

People are understandably worried that NorthWestern Energy might transfer the increased energy costs to regular customers. Currently, NWE supplies an average of about 750 megawatts per customer, but with the addition of these new data centers, that number could nearly triple to 2,100 megawatts.

I realize we will never go away from advancing technology, but why is it that we regular folks always have to subsidize these companies with our tax dollars and through our bills, while they get breaks on their taxes?

I haven't even begun to discuss the potential for noise, light, and air pollution that can also come with these data centers.

I think Rep. Jane Gillette, from Three Forks, said it best when she told the Daily Montanan:

“What kind of things do we need to put into place to make sure we still have the Montana that we cherish at the end of the day?”

Source: Daily Montanan