Governor's energy task force continues public discussions on data centers

BUTTE, Mont. – Talks about bringing data centers to Montana, including the Mining City, continue to spark interest and concern. A public forum in Butte on Wednesday evening addressed these issues.

Officials from Butte-Silver Bow, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), NorthWestern Energy, Sabey Data Centers, and others attended the forum. They aimed to address public concerns about the potential impact of data centers on energy bills, water usage, and job opportunities.

Sonja Nowakowski, Director of the Department of Environmental Quality, explained the purpose of the forum.

"The governor's task force is about the energy landscape," Nowakowski said. "We're here to talk about the big picture—affordable, reliable energy for today and for tomorrow.

"We know people have specific and specialized questions, and so we wanted to give them that opportunity to ask questions to those experts, and better understand what regulations are in place," Nowakowski continued.

Some residents appreciated the forum as a step in the right direction for providing more clear communication with Butte residents.

"When you get a small group of people making noise or asking questions, you wonder if it's being heard out on the streets," said Evan Barrett of the Butte Watchdogs for Environmental Justice. "It's pretty clear that this is out on the streets. People are interested, positive and negative."

"The power rate thing is concerning everybody," Barrett continued. "The jobs... are there many or not? It's hard to tell yet. Tying up 600 acres, is that a good idea? I have questions."

However, some attendees were dissatisfied with the forum's format, as questions were answered in individual conversations with officials, rather than in a group setting.

"Because the whole room doesn't get to hear the answers to your questions, it becomes unsatisfying," Butte resident Cindy Cohan said. "That’s why we're sitting here exchanging data that each one of us got at the different tables."

NonStop Local requested to speak with Sabey representatives at the forum but they declined to interview with local media at this time.