A Homesteading Mother vs. Big Tech: The Fight Over a Montana Data Center
In the rolling plains of Broadview, Montana — a town of fewer than 200 people about 30 miles north of Billings — Kassi Solberg is waging an unlikely battle. A homesteading mother of six and rancher, Solberg is leading a grassroots campaign against one of the largest proposed data center complexes in the United States: a 5,000-acre AI campus that would be roughly the size of 3,788 football fields.
The Proposal That Shook a Small Town
The “Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Campus,” proposed by Texas-based Quantica Infrastructure, would sit on land south of Broadview that the company quietly began acquiring in 2024. The scale is staggering: the facility’s power needs could reach up to 8,435 megawatts — about five times what NorthWestern Energy currently owns for generation in Montana. Proposed gas plants alone would generate 1,785 megawatts, more than the combined capacity of every gas plant currently operating in the state.
A Community Divided
Broadview is grappling with what this project would mean for its future. At a packed community meeting in January, about 130 residents gathered at the Broadview Senior Center to hear from environmental experts and voice their concerns. The Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) was among the groups that organized the event.
“We are not saying no to data centers,” said Anne Hedges, executive director of MEIC. “We are saying they need to come here on our terms. They need to come here in a way that does not harm those of us who already live here. Doesn’t increase our electricity bills. Doesn’t harm our water resources.”
But not everyone in Broadview shares the same concerns. Duane Swartz, owner of the Homestead Inn — the town’s only bar and restaurant — sees economic opportunity. “As long as they are good stewards with the land and the water and the power, then that’s fine with me,” Swartz told KTVQ. “I’m the only business in town. If I can bring people to work here or to eat here, stuff like that, it’d be great.”
The Fight for Transparency
For Solberg and her neighbors, the biggest frustration has been a lack of clear information from Quantica. The company has maintained a “pay our own way” approach to infrastructure costs, but residents say they need concrete answers about power sources, water consumption, and long-term impacts.
“We should be demanding plans like solid concrete information,” Solberg said. “We’re not getting anything in Broadview.”
A particular flashpoint is a proposed 21-mile transmission line that Solberg worries will be paid for by ratepayers. “Twenty-one mile transmission line that’s $30 million or whatever that we ratepayers get to pay for,” she said. “They say it’s going to Billings, but it’s coming straight here.”
Broadview Mayor Roger Swartz — Duane’s brother — has adopted a neutral stance, noting that the project site is outside town limits. “It’s outside the city limits, and it’s not within our power to do anything about it,” he said. “If they come out with something that’s going to affect the town, then I think we should say something. But at this time, we haven’t been informed one way or the other.”
Environmental Stakes in a Semi-Arid Land
Eastern Montana is semi-arid, and water is a precious resource. Data centers require enormous amounts of water for cooling servers, raising alarm among residents like Nancy Buroff, who described the area as “pristine.”
Quantica CEO John Chesser has pushed back on water concerns, arguing that modern AI data centers use closed-loop cooling systems that consume far less water than older designs. “One of the concerns I heard last night was the project would use 10 million gallons of water a day, and that is just not the case,” Chesser told KBZK.
The company is considering a mix of solar, wind, natural gas, and geothermal power sources. But the prospect of natural gas plants has environmental groups on edge, particularly given the project’s enormous scale.
A Broader National Pattern
The Broadview fight is a microcosm of a national debate. As AI development drives unprecedented demand for computing power, rural communities with cheap land and available energy infrastructure are prime targets for data center development. But these communities often lack the political leverage to negotiate favorable terms.
Quantica has pledged that five of its six project leaders are Montanans, and the company has emphasized job creation. Clint McCulloch, president of the Southeast Montana Building Trades Council, said there is a skilled workforce ready to build the facility. But critics like Cari Olson, a Broadview area resident, remain skeptical. “Every time that one of these gets built, it affects us all,” Olson said. “Because the electricity is so bad. The water is so awful. And it doesn’t create the jobs.”
What’s Next
The project is still in its early stages, with many details yet to be finalized. A lawsuit filed by a Montana businessman alleging that Quantica stole plans for the data center adds another layer of uncertainty. The company has said it will continue engaging with the community as plans develop.
For Solberg, the fight is about more than just one data center. It’s about whether rural communities have a say in their own future — and whether the promise of economic development is worth the cost to their land, water, and way of life.
“We should be demanding plans like solid concrete information,” she said. Until that happens, she and her neighbors intend to keep asking questions.