BILLINGS — Yellowstone County commissioners are looking for ways to take back control of regulating data centers, a local debate that's a part of a national conversation.
They drafted a letter asking the Yellowstone County legislative delegation to clarify the Right to Compute Act, specifically requesting that it preserve counties' traditional authority to regulate data centers through local zoning, permitting, and public health concerns.
Click here to read the letter.
Commissioner Mark Morse said one example of what could change is that data centers would need to get additional local approvals before moving forward.
"So, it might be that when a data center comes to town, they have to get a conditional use permit or something that would allow the local government agency to say, 'Hey, we need you to answer specific questions for us.'"
Yellowstone County commissioners have faced public backlash over a data center being built in Broadview, specifically from Yellowstone County Voices, a grassroots group who made an unsuccessful effort to place the Broadview data center on November's ballot.
Morse said because Quantica, the group bringing the data center to Broadview, has already started construction, any changes to the Right to Compute Act — if they occur at all — will not affect that development.
Related:
Commissioners agree to discuss emergency zoning request over proposed Broadview data center
Data-center opponents tell Yellowstone County commissioners they were harassed while gathering signatures
Yellowstone County data center ballot initiative will not be on November ballot
