Study Sizes Montana Data Center Jobs, Taxes
A 1,000 MW facility is modeled at 452 statewide jobs and $47 million in yearly property taxes, based on current law.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Data Centers
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The University of Montana's Bureau of Business and Economic Research has published a study estimating the economic effects of hyperscale data centers, defined as facilities of 500 megawatts and above. The study, which covers jobs, tax revenue and energy impacts only, is a modeling estimate under current state law rather than an observed outcome.
Why it matters
As large AI and cloud facilities seek sites across the country, states are beginning to quantify what they would actually gain in jobs and tax base. The study puts per-megawatt figures on that trade-off for Montana, which can inform how legislators weigh future data center proposals.
The estimates come from REMI economic modeling applied to differently sized facilities, and the figures are projections rather than measured outcomes. The modeling counts only jobs, tax revenue and energy effects, so it does not capture other costs or benefits.
The players
University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research
The University of Montana research unit that produces economic analysis and modeling for the state.
The details
The study models hyperscale data centers, defined as facilities of 500 megawatts and above, by evaluating each 500 MW increment separately. REMI modeling is a regional economic model that traces how spending and construction flow through a state's industries to estimate jobs and income. Direct jobs are those at the facility itself, while total statewide jobs also include the downstream effects of that spending. Property tax estimates reflect the assessed value of the facility, and the study projects higher payments if new power generation is co-developed with the project.
Timeline
Construction of a 1,000 MW data center is modeled to take four years.
An upcoming legislative session could change the state law governing the study's findings.
The Tech Race
The study applies the REMI regional economic model, a tool commonly used to forecast the effects of major projects, to hyperscale facilities of 500 megawatts and above. It sets per-megawatt benchmarks that states can compare as they court or evaluate large data center investments.
The study does not indicate when or whether any specific data center will be built in Montana, so residents see no direct change from it yet. Its findings could inform future siting decisions and state tax policy if the legislature acts on the law the study assumes.
The takeaway
Watch whether the upcoming legislative session changes the state law the study relies on, since that would alter the modeled results. Any future Montana hyperscale proposal can be checked against the study's per-1,000 MW benchmarks of 250 direct jobs and $47 million in annual property taxes.
Further reading
For broader context on how these facilities are sited and powered, see Data Centers coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KPAX News.
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