"A look at secret agreements in Montana."

"The surge of new data center development is making people worried. How much energy and water will these resource-hungry centers consume? Will they drive new fossil fuel pollution? How much will household electricity prices go up?

These questions have answers, but in many cases, the details of new data centers are blocked from public view.

Take this example from Montana. Quantica Infrastructure is planning to build a 5,000-acre energy and technology hub near Billings, Montana, which would use more electricity than all of the households in the state combined. The specifics are spelled out in the documents below – but they’re redacted."

Karin Kirk reports for Yale Climate Connections March 3, 2026. [2]