Some Montana residents want to have a bigger voice when it comes to data centers.
A Broadview woman is going so far as to ask that the approval of data centers goes to a vote of the people.
Watch proposed data center ballot measure story here:
Kassi Solberg says your vote should count.
She met with a group at the Lavina Senior Center on Wednesday morning, before a planned panel discussion at the Broadview Community Center at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“It doesn't mean no data centers ever,” Solberg said. “It means that they would have to be approved by two-thirds vote. So those data center developers would need to be transparent with people. ”
If she gets her way, Quantica could face a vote for its proposed 5,000-acre data center near Broadview.
Quantica says it will supply all 1,000 megawatts of electricity needed to run the center and has asked for the ability to run up to 7,235 megawatts of power through the NorthWestern Energy power grid.
Meanwhile, those living in Golden Valley County are concerned about how a data center might affect their groundwater in Lavina.
“Why are those people's rights more important than the other people that are outside the property line? ” Mayor Diane Buroff asked. “It's a very complicated subject, and I don't know all the answers. ”
Because Broadview is so close, Golden Valley County residents are just as concerned as those in Yellowstone County.
So they say they'll help gather signatures for the petition.
“We found this little town,” said Ron Thomas, who lives in Lavina with his wife. “This is heaven to us right here, and all of a sudden we've got somebody's trying to turn it into hell. ”
Solberg says while she's been in front of several county commissions, she says her concerns are not gaining traction.
“They're not offering us many protections, and so it's time for citizens to stand up, and that's the way it is,” Solberg said. “That's how it has to be. We need to make the decisions. We're the ones who live there. ”
MTN did get this response from Commissioner Mike Waters, R-Yellowstone County.
“I appreciate the citizens' participation in the local initiative process and respect the effort that goes into preparing and submitting a proposal,” Waters said in an email response.
MTN contacted Quantica about the potential of data centers possibly going to a vote, but have not yet heard back.
The Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office is reviewing the petition. If approved, Solberg says her group will need collect 16,650 signatures, which is 15 percent of the 110,397 registered voters, to place it on the Nov. 3 ballot.
