A proposal to convert a shuttered mill site in Bonner into a large-scale data center is drawing fierce community pushback, with more than 4,000 residents signing a petition opposing the project as Missoula County planners prepare to take up the application ahead of a July 1 decision.
The application, submitted to Missoula County, would repurpose the former mill property into a data center facility drawing up to 29 megawatts of power and relying on a closed-loop cooling system to manage the significant heat generated by server infrastructure. The Bonner site, located along the Blackfoot River east of Missoula, has long been a focal point of community interest given its history as an industrial anchor of the area and its prominent position along one of Montana’s most celebrated rivers.
Details of who submitted the application and which company would operate the facility were not immediately available, but the proposal has already triggered one of the more organized opposition efforts seen in recent Missoula County land use proceedings. The petition, which surpassed 4,000 signatures, reflects broad concern among residents about the project’s potential impact on the surrounding environment, water resources, and the character of the Bonner community.
Data centers are among the most power-hungry facilities in modern commercial real estate, and a 29-megawatt draw would represent a substantial new load on the local electrical grid. Closed-loop cooling systems, which recirculate water internally rather than drawing continuously from an outside source, are generally considered more environmentally responsible than open cooling systems, but opponents have raised questions about whether any large industrial use is appropriate for the sensitive river corridor site.
The Missoula County Planning Board is scheduled to take up the application on July 1, a proceeding that is likely to draw significant public testimony given the level of opposition already organized around the project. Planning board recommendations are typically forwarded to the county commissioners for a final decision.
The proposal arrives as data center development has accelerated across the Mountain West, driven by demand for artificial intelligence computing infrastructure and the region’s relatively cool climate, which reduces cooling costs. Rural and semi-rural sites with access to power transmission and water have become targets for developers, bringing land use conflicts to communities that have little experience evaluating the trade-offs involved.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
