When Missoula metalworker Paul Barmore set up an online petition opposing a proposed data center in Bonner, he never anticipated it would attract nearly 50,000 signatures in less than three months.
“With the signatures that we garnered, it was very encouraging, but I’ve always been a bit of a cynic when it comes to public engagement and getting involved with local government,” Barmore said in an interview with MTPR. “And this has really changed my mind, and I hope it encourages other people.”
Missoula County now says the data center “will not move forward.” Bonner Mill Industrial Park’s general manager, Mike Heisey, in a statement posted to the county website said he decided to back out of the project after hearing from the public and understanding their concerns. Heisey did not respond to MTPR’s request for an interview.
AI infrastructure company Krambu submitted an application to the county in March. But public backlash was swift. Residents raised concerns about the proposal’s water and power usage, among other issues.
The data center would have needed power equal to thousands of homes. And though developers said it would use a minimal amount of water, its location at the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers raised fears about contamination. Krambu did not respond to MTPR’s request for comment.
Separately, Missoula County commissioners are mulling over a potential one-year moratorium on new data centers. They’re set to make a decision at their meeting June 9th at 2 p.m.
