by Shannon James
In March, Honor the Earth, an international organization focused on Tribal sovereignty and environmental justice, hosted a packed panel discussion in Lame Deer focused on two rapidly emerging industries in Montana: nuclear energy and data centers. Both are being explored as development opportunities across the state, yet they raise significant concerns for land, water, public safety, and local communities.
The panel brought together voices from across the country who have been on the frontlines of similar fights. I joined speakers Ian Zabarte of the Native Community Action Council, Jeanie Alderson of the Northern Plains Resource Council, and Oklahoma farmer and land-use advocate Darren Blanchard. Together, we shared lessons from past and ongoing resistance efforts, highlighting the long history of communities organizing to protect their resources from industrial development.
Tribal members in attendance voiced particular concern about water, an invaluable and increasingly scarce resource. Their perspectives underscored what is at stake as Montana faces growing pressure from energy-intensive industries.
Zabarte spoke about decades of opposing nuclear development on Indigenous lands. He continues to lead efforts to stop nuclear waste dumping at Yucca Mountain, the ancestral homeland of the Western Shoshone. Zabarte was also part of the successful campaign to end nuclear bomb testing in North America, a movement that exposed long-term health and environmental consequences of nuclear activities.
I highlighted how national trends are rapidly taking shape in Montana. For decades, Montana voters had a direct say over nuclear development through a 1978 initiative requiring statewide approval for any nuclear plant. That safeguard was repealed in 2021, opening the door to new development. Subsequent legislation passed in the 2025 session has allowed for nuclear waste storage and uranium processing in the state, while efforts to require local and Tribal approval ultimately failed.
Much of the current push for nuclear power is being driven by the rapid growth of data centers. These facilities demand enormous amounts of electricity and water, often requiring new infrastructure and driving up costs. In other regions, data centers have already contributed significantly to rising electricity prices. Montana has seen dramatic rate increases in recent years, even before large-scale data center development.
While NorthWestern Energy explores nuclear power and keeps the public in the dark about data center development, the federal government is accelerating efforts to deregulate the nuclear industry. The Department of Energy is aiming to have three new advanced reactors operational by July 4. This is a dangerously ambitious target driven by one of Pres. Trump’s Executive Orders on nuclear energy signed last May. In the rush to meet this goal, federal agencies are rolling back safety standards and weakening environmental review requirements, limiting transparency and public oversight.
MEIC is closely tracking the steady stream of rule changes coming out of the federal government. We will continue to keep you informed and flag opportunities for the public to weigh in on these concerning proposals.
This article was published in the June 2026 issue of Down To Earth.
