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Montana Mother Battles Quantica's 5,000-Acre AI Data Center Project

New York Times Business •
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Kassi Solberg, a mother of six in rural Broadview, Montana, is challenging Quantica Infrastructure's proposed 5,000-acre AI data center campus. The development would span 3,800 football fields and require up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity from NorthWestern Energy. Solberg argues the project threatens local farming traditions and water resources.

At town council meetings, Solberg faces resistance from local officials who claim the development lies outside municipal boundaries. When she pressed for transparency about potential nondisclosure agreements, one council member nearly confronted her physically. The lack of public disclosure frustrates residents seeking answers about a project that could transform their agricultural community.

Data centers are proliferating across Montana, lured by tax incentives and Governor Greg Gianforte's pro-business policies. These facilities demand enormous water and power resources - concerns that extend beyond Broadview to communities nationwide grappling with Big Tech's expansion.

Solberg represents a growing wave of rural activists pushing back against tech giants' infrastructure ambitions. While developers maintain confidentiality protects business strategies, residents argue they deserve input on projects that could reshape their landscape forever. The tension highlights how AI's infrastructure boom creates unexpected conflicts in America's heartland.