Montana data center and energy laws

What it would do: Requests the Legislative Council to conduct an interim study of data centers' impacts on Montana's economy, electric grid reliability, and ratepayers, with findings reported to the 70th Legislature by September 15, 2026.

What it would do: Prohibits the Public Service Commission from establishing discriminatory electricity rates for digital asset mining and data centers. Requires data centers and digital mining businesses consuming over 1 megawatt annually to report annual electricity consumption and anticipated needs to the commission by March 1 each year.

What it would do: Prohibits the Public Service Commission from preventing regulated public utilities from serving new large customers with average monthly demand of 5,000 kilowatts or more, and appropriates $50,000 total to market Montana for data centers and assist developers in acquiring electrical generation resources.

What it would do: Requests the Legislative Council to designate a committee or staff to study data centers' impacts on Montana's electric grid, economy, water resources, and ratepayers, with findings reported to the 70th Legislature by September 15, 2026.

What it would do: Establishes the Montana Data Center Development Act clarifying that the Public Service Commission cannot prohibit regulated public utilities from serving new large customers with average monthly demand of 5,000 kilowatts or more, and appropriates $50,000 for data center marketing and electrical resource acquisition.

What it would do: Extends the deadline for dedicated communications infrastructure construction from June 30, 2027 to June 30, 2037 to qualify for class 17 property taxation, and requires local assessment of qualified data centers and related infrastructure exceeding $500 million in market value.

What it would do: Extends the construction deadline for qualified data centers and dedicated communications infrastructure from June 30, 2027 to June 30, 2037, and extends the tax incentive period for dedicated communications infrastructure from 15 years to 25 years.

What it would do: Amends Montana law to prohibit the Public Service Commission from establishing discriminatory electricity rates for digital asset mining and data centers, and requires data centers and digital mining businesses to report annual electricity consumption and anticipated needs to the commission by March 1 each year.