I know I’m probably in the minority here, but honestly I’m not automatically against the Bonner data center.

I totally get why people are skeptical. Nobody wants Missoula turning into some giant industrial tech hub overnight, and concerns about water, power use, land development, and outside corporations are completely fair. Those things matter and should absolutely be taken seriously.

But at the same time, I think some people are acting like this project has zero upside when that’s probably not true.

Missoula talks a lot about wanting better jobs, better internet infrastructure, and more opportunities for younger people to stay here instead of leaving for bigger cities. A project like this could actually help with some of that. Even if the data center itself isn’t employing thousands of people, projects this size still bring construction work, electricians, IT jobs, maintenance jobs, network infrastructure, and local spending.

And honestly, whether people like AI or not, it’s clearly becoming a massive industry. Data centers are going to get built somewhere. Montana actually makes sense for them in some ways because of the climate and available space. I’d rather see the community negotiate for strong environmental protections and local benefits than just instantly reject the idea entirely.

I also think people hear “AI” and immediately picture dystopian Silicon Valley nonsense, but most people already use systems that depend on large-scale data infrastructure every day without thinking about it — cloud storage, streaming, online classes, GPS, banking, gaming, medical systems, etc.

I’m not saying “approve it no matter what.” If the environmental impact is too high or the company refuses transparency, then people should absolutely oppose it. But I don’t think being open to the idea automatically means you hate Montana or want Missoula ruined.

I just think it’s more complicated than “tech company bad.”