GREAT FALLS, Montana — A regional conservation group's request to pause data center development in Cascade County intensified this weekend, as residents and county commissioners weighed the strain that AI-driven server farms place on local water and power resources.

The commission has yet to schedule a formal vote on the proposal.

The appeal reflects a broader national pattern in which rural and mid-sized counties have become targets for the energy-intensive facilities that power artificial intelligence systems. Developers have favored inland sites for cheaper land and grid access, but the projects require large volumes of electricity and water for cooling.

Similar disputes are unfolding across the country. In Ohio, Veolia this week announced a 350-megawatt grid-independent microgrid to serve data centers, underscoring how operators increasingly build dedicated power to sidestep public utilities and community objections over grid capacity.

Critics argue that such projects deliver few permanent jobs while consuming scarce resources and raising residents' utility costs. Supporters counter that the facilities bring tax revenue and investment to areas that have struggled to attract new industry.

County planners and conservation advocates were expected to continue talks in the coming days, part of a widening reckoning over where and how the physical backbone of the AI economy should be built.