Data center profile · Montana Connections Business Park, Silver Bow County (Butte), Montana

Sabey Montana Connections (Butte)

Sabey's planned 250 MW data center on about 600 acres in Butte, Montana, dropped in May 2026 after REC Silicon took part of the site.

Withdrawn. Sabey backed out of the Butte purchase in May 2026 after REC Silicon exercised a 1996 right of first refusal on part of the parcel (press). In Sept. 2026 Butte-Silver Bow commissioners approved selling 627.8 acres to REC Silicon instead.
Up to 250 MW
planned in phases (developer)
Sabey's project page; NorthWestern's 2024 letter of intent said 50 MW from 2027 growing to 250 MW or more by 2029
606 acres
agreed for sale at $1.21 million
commissioners backed the purchase agreement 10-1 in Apr. 2025 (press)
May 2026
Sabey withdraws from the deal
press report; no termination document found
627.8 acres
sold to REC Silicon instead
approved 8-1 on Sept. 16, 2026 (press)
OperatorSabey Data Centers, through Horizons Montana, LLC
CustomerNone named
Planned IT capacity200 MW at full build-out (our estimate from the company or utility power figure)
Next stepNone for this site; Sabey says it is seeking other southwest Montana sites
Permits

Permits checklist

1 withdrawn · 1 paused · 2 checked, nothing on file

Approvals a campus like this normally needs, and what we found.

Risks

Why it stopped, what could revive it

Power

Power and the grid

None energized or contracted yet

NorthWestern Energy grid serviceLetter of intent only
250 MW
letter of intent (Dec. 2024): minimum 50 MW from 2027 growing to 250 MW or more by 2029; no electric service agreement was signed, and Sabey's own guide said up to 200 MW Company · Dec. 2024
Proposed

Getting on the grid

Who supplies what, what it costs, and what is still not public.

  1. Dec. 17, 2024
    Utility letter of intent
    NorthWestern announces a letter of intent to serve an unnamed customer, later identified as Sabey. News report · Dec. 2024
  2. Jan. 12, 2026
    Sabey puts the load at up to 200 MW
    Its public guide says the campus may use up to 200 MW and that Sabey would pay the full cost of a new substation and transmission upgrades. Company · Jan. 2026
  3. March 2026
    Large-load tariff filed
    NorthWestern asks the Montana PSC for a large-load rule requiring commission review of each service agreement of 50 MW or more; no Sabey agreement had been filed. see Permits
  4. Not set
    Service agreement: never executed
    NorthWestern said it was still working to execute service agreements; none for this site is on record. Company · Oct. 2026
Money

Money on record

$1.21M
price for 606 acres in the 2025 agreement (press)
includes a clawback provision per the county News report · April 2025
$13M a year
property tax a board member estimated
spoken estimate, about $11M of it tax increment News report · Feb. 2026
$1.5 to $2B
capital investment a board member cited, spoken estimate not an agreement term
News report · Feb. 2026
Timeline

What happened, and what is due

SitePaper trailConstructionPowerPermitsMoneyLegalUpcoming
  1. Dec. 17, 2024
    Power NorthWestern announces a letter of intent: 50 MW from 2027, 250 MW or more by 2029 News report · Dec. 2024
  2. March 14, 2025
    Paper trail Horizons Montana LLC registered in Delaware
  3. April 16, 2025
    Permits Commissioners vote 10-1 to back a $1.21 million sale of about 600 acres to Sabey's Horizons Montana (press) News report · April 2025
  4. Oct. 15, 2025
    Money Sabey misses the first closing date and gets an extension to Feb. 2026 (press) News report · Oct. 2025
  5. Jan. 6, 2026
    Legal County discloses a 1996 right of first refusal on part of the land, held by REC Silicon's side News report · Jan. 2026
  6. Feb. 4, 2026
    Permits Commissioners vote 9-3 for a six-month extension, half of what was asked (press) News report · Feb. 2026
  7. May 2026
    Site Sabey withdraws from the Butte deal after REC Silicon buys part of the parcel (press) News report · May 2026
  8. Sept. 16, 2026
    Permits Commissioners approve selling 627.8 acres to REC Silicon, 8-1 (press) News report · Sept. 2026
The buildings

Specs

~600 acres
under option on Sabey's project page
Company · Oct. 2026
~16 million gallons a year
cooling water at full build, from the industrial Silver Lake system (estimate by presenters, press)
News report · Jan. 2026
Who is involved

Owners, partners and builders

Owners
  • Sabey Data Centers: developer behind Horizons Montana, LLC
  • Butte-Silver Bow: seller of the land
Counterparties
  • NorthWestern Energy: utility, letter of intent
  • REC Silicon: right-of-first-refusal holder and new buyer of the land
Still unknown

Open questions

Where this comes from

70 records from 24 documents

Drawn from news reports, company statements, local government records, business registries, public and commercial datasets and utility regulator dockets, each kept with its date and source. The bar shows documents by type.

News report 15Company 5Local government 2Dataset 1Utility regulator 1
Evidence

Every quote behind this page

Grade key: A = the primary record itself (permit, filing, exhibit) · B = a dated official statement · C = news reporting. Map distances are our own measurements on OpenStreetMap and carry no grade. Allegations in lawsuits are marked as such in the quotes.

Power (6)
  • County code: 30093
    “Location: Silver Bow County, MT. Montana Connections Business Development Park, Butte-Anaconda Corridor (campus, plant and substation all in Silver Bow County).”
    Dataset · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Stated campus size: 250 MW
    “Power Capacity: Up to 250 MW planned in phases”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Utility service: 250 MW
    “The energy service load is expected to be a minimum 50 megawatts, beginning in 2027, with growth to 250 megawatts or more by 2029.”
    Company · Dec. 2024 · grade B
  • Utility service: 50 MW
    “The energy service load is expected to be a minimum 50 megawatts, beginning in 2027, with growth to 250 megawatts or more by 2029.”
    Company · Dec. 2024 · grade B
  • NorthWestern Energy letter of intent (Dec. 17, 2024) later attributed to Sabey: energy service load expected to be a minimum 50 MW beginning in 2027, growing to 250 MW or more by 2029 - the source of the campus 250 MW fi
    “the press release said the "energy service load" provided to the yet-to-be-identified customer is "expected to be a minimum 50 megawatts, beginning in 2027, with growth to 250 megawatts or more by 2029"”
    News report · Dec. 2024 · grade C
  • NorthWestern Energy LOI announced for an unnamed developer: minimum 50 MW beginning 2027, growth to 250 MW or more by 2029; developer later revealed as Sabey
    “the energy service load provided to the yet-to-be-identified customer is expected to be a minimum 50 megawatts, beginning in 2027, with growth to 250 megawatts or more by 2029”
    News report · Dec. 2024 · grade C
Money and contracts (17)
  • Development agreement: development agreement Development agreement signed during 2025 and disclosed in NorthWestern's FY2025 results (Feb 2026): NorthWestern is 'working with each of these parties to execute electric ser
    “We have signed development agreements with both Sabey and Atlas and are working with each of these parties to execute electric service agreements.”
    Company · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • letter of intent: energy service load 250 MW
    “The energy service load is expected to be a minimum 50 megawatts, beginning in 2027, with growth to 250 megawatts or more by 2029.”
    Company · Dec. 2024 · grade B
  • Escrow Agreement (Communication 2025-257): escrow Escrow Agreement (Communication 2025-257): Escrow account for the Montana Connections sale established with Land Services LLC (buyer's preferred firm); local title compan
    “Commissioners voted to concur and place communication 2025-257 on file”
    News report · Oct. 2026 · grade C
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement - exit: termination Purchase and Sale Agreement - exit: Sabey backed out of the Butte proposal in May 2026 after REC Silicon exercised its right of first refusal and acquired part of the parce
    “Sabey Data Centers has backed out of a proposal to build a data center in Butte, Montana. But part of the parcel was acquired by REC Silicon, a silicon materials producer, in April”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement - extension 1: deadline extension Purchase and Sale Agreement - extension 1: Closing date extended from Oct. 15, 2025 to Feb. 11, 2026 after Sabey said it was not ready to purchase; Sabey cite
    “but Sabey said it wasn't ready to make the purchase by that date. The county recently agreed to extend the closing date to Feb. 11, 2026”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • purchase and sale amendment: deadline extension
    “Butte-Silver Bow commissioners voted 9-3 on Feb. 4 to grant a six-month extension of the purchase-and-sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • TED board member Andy Durkin told the Feb. 4, 2026 council meeting Sabey's capital investment estimates were $1.5-2 billion, with roughly $13 million/year in property tax revenue, about $11 million of it tax increment fo
    “Sabey's capital investment estimates for building and infrastructure were between $1.5 billion and $2 billion and that, even at conservative assumptions, the county could see roughly $13 million a year in property tax revenue”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Council voted 9-3 to grant a six-month extension of the purchase-and-sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC after hours of public comment
    “Butte-Silver Bow commissioners voted 9-3 on Feb. 4 to grant a six-month extension of the purchase-and-sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement - title exception (1996 right of first refusal): right of first refusal Purchase and Sale Agreement - title exception: A 1996 right-of-first-refusal recorded on part of the property, tied to A
    “County Director Burns and County Attorney Ann Ruth described a recently discovered 1996 right-of-first-refusal recorded on part of the property tied to ASME/REC; that title issue triggered a 60-day notice”
    News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
  • Land area: 606.5 acres
    “The purchase and sale agreement includes 606.5 acres of Butte-Silver Bow land in the Montana Connections Targeted Economic Development District”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
  • purchase and sale: land sale 606.5 acres
    “The purchase and sale agreement includes 606.5 acres of Butte-Silver Bow land in the Montana Connections Targeted Economic Development District”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
  • Residents pressed the council at the Nov 12, 2025 meeting with 17 questions compiled at the Oct 16 'Beyond the Boom' community conversation (footprint, water, wastewater, tax impacts)
    “the purchase and sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC covers 606.5 acres of Butte-Silver Bow land within the Montana Connections Targeted Economic Development District”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement (Communication 2025-211): purchase price Purchase and Sale Agreement (Communication 2025-211): Sale of 606 acres in the Montana Connections industrial park for $1.21 million to Horizons Montan
    “Butte-Silver Bow commissioners approved the sale of 606 acres in the county's industrial park for $1.21 million to Horizons Montana, an LLC for Sabey Data Centers”
    News report · April 2025 · grade C
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement (Communication 2025-211): closing deadline Purchase and Sale Agreement (Communication 2025-211): Deal requires Sabey to close the purchase within 180 days of the April 2025 agreement (initial
    “The deal requires Sabey to close the purchase within 180 days”
    News report · April 2025 · grade C
  • Purchase and Sale Agreement (Communication 2025-211): clawback Purchase and Sale Agreement (Communication 2025-211): Purchase includes a clawback provision (stated by county TIFID administrator Kristen Rosa at the Apr. 1
    “she said the district's zoning allows industrial development and that the purchase includes a clawback provision”
    News report · April 2025 · grade C
  • John Sabey told the council (Apr. 16, 2025) the campus size was not yet determined: multiple hundreds of thousands of square feet to potentially a million square feet, phased with customer demand; no building count, gene
    “the size of the project is yet to be determined, but it would be multiple hundreds of thousands of square feet to potentially a million square feet”
    News report · April 2025 · grade C
  • Butte-Silver Bow Council voted 10-1 to concur in the purchase-and-sale agreement with Horizons Montana, LLC for ~600 acres in the Montana Connections TEDD (communication 2025-211)
    “Commissioner Fisher moved to concur and place the purchase-and-sale agreement on file; the motion passed 10-1”
    News report · April 2025 · grade C
Permits and government (12)
  • NorthWestern Energy application for a Large New Load Service Tariff Rule governi: application filed - Large New Load Tariff Rule (Rule No. 24)
    “approval of a new tariff rule for NorthWestern electricity supply, or "bundled" customers, who anticipate electric loads of 5 megawatts ("MW") or greater, titled Large New Load Service Tariff Rule, Rule No. 24”
    Utility regulator · March 2026 · grade A
  • Complaint docket concerning NorthWestern's service to data centers (the Earthjus: customer complaint re utility service to data centers opened
    “a customer complaint filed against NorthWestern (Docket No. 2025.11.084)”
    Utility regulator · Oct. 2026 · grade B
  • Montana Connections TEDD Board of Directors:
    “3.1 Amendment to the Purchase and Sale Agreement for Horizons Montana, LLC (Sabey Data Centers). Requesting and extension of the due diligence period.”
    Local government · Jan. 2026 · grade B
  • Council judiciary committee (Sep. 23, 2026) held council bill March 2026, an interim zoning ordinance pausing hyperscale data center approvals, in abeyance pending further work on definitions and public input
    “The judiciary committee discussed council bill 20 26-03, an interim zoning ordinance that would pause approvals of hyperscale data centers while the council works on narrow definitions and public input; the committee voted to hold the ordinance in abeyance”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners:
    “Butte-Silver Bow commissioners approved a sale-and-purchase agreement with REC Silicon for 627.802 acres and directed proceeds to the Montana Connections economic-development fund; the vote was 8-1”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
  • Montana Connections TEDD Board:
    “An April 24, 2026 TEDD agenda still listed a Sabey/Horizons update and due-diligence extension item, without recording its result”
    Dataset · April 2026 · grade C
  • purchase-and-sale agreement amendment: six-month extension granted
    “Butte-Silver Bow commissioners voted 9-3 on Feb. 4 to grant a six-month extension of the purchase-and-sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners:
    “Butte-Silver Bow commissioners voted 9-3 on Feb. 4 to grant a six-month extension of the purchase-and-sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC (doing business with Sabey Data Centers)”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Butte-Silver Bow Montana Connections Ad Hoc Data Center Impact Committee:
    “Butte-Silver Bow's Montana Connections ad hoc committee recommended a one-year due-diligence extension for the proposed Sabey data center project”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Ad hoc committee presenters estimated full build-out cooling water at roughly 16,000,000 gallons per year (about 40,000-44,000 gallons/day average; summer peak days on the order of 300,000 gallons/day) from the Silver La
    “Presenters told Butte-Silver Bow's ad hoc committee that the proposed Sabey data center would average roughly 16 million gallons a year (about 44,000 gallons a day), or about 0.2% of the industrial Silver Lake system's sustainable capacity”
    News report · Jan. 2026 · grade C
  • Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners:
    “County staff answered that the purchase and sale agreement with Horizons Montana LLC covers 606.5 acres of Butte-Silver Bow land within the Montana Connections Targeted Economic Development District (MC TED)”
    News report · Nov. 2025 · grade C
  • Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners:
    “The Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners on April 16 voted 10-1 to concur and place on file a purchase-and-sale agreement allowing Horizons Montana LLC to pursue purchase of about 600 acres”
    News report · April 2025 · grade C
Legal (1)
  • 406 People First citizen initiative would bar the city-county from authorizing data center construction/expansion after Nov. 3, 2026 without a special election approved by two-thirds of all registered voters; Montana Sup
    “The initiative's official language would prevent the city-county from authorizing construction or expansion of a data center after Nov. 3 unless a special election wins approval from two-thirds of all registered voters”
    News report · Sept. 2026 · grade C
Site and other (9)
  • Apr 24, 2026 Montana Connections TEDD agenda still listed a Sabey/Horizons update and due-diligence extension item, without recording its result
    “An April 24, 2026 TEDD agenda still listed a Sabey/Horizons update and due-diligence extension item, without recording its result.”
    Dataset · April 2026 · grade B
  • Project status: withdrawn
    “Sabey backs out of proposal to build data center in Butte, Montana”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Sabey withdrew from the Butte deal in May 2026 and is seeking other sites in southwest Montana, including elsewhere in Silver Bow County and Deer Lodge County
    “Sabey Corporation withdrew from a Butte deal in May but is seeking other Montana sites”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Sabey withdrew from the Butte deal in May 2026; DCD reports REC Silicon bought the site instead; Sabey is seeking other Montana sites
    “Sabey Corporation withdrew from a Butte deal in May but is seeking other Montana sites.”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Sabey withdrew from the Butte deal in May 2026 and is seeking other Montana sites
    “Sabey Corporation withdrew from a Butte deal in May but is seeking other Montana sites.”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • After Sabey backed out, REC Silicon bought the site instead (DCD headline, May 29 2026)
    “Sabey backs out of proposal to build data center in Butte, Montana - REC Silicon bought the site instead”
    News report · May 2026 · grade C
  • Sabey had not come to a deal with Butte-Silver Bow County and had not broken ground
    “The company has yet to come to a deal with Butte-Silver Bow County, and has not broken ground to build any data centers there.”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • 406 People First (Denise Kelly) launched a February 2026 petition drive in Butte-Silver Bow to put voter approval of new or expanded data centers on the November ballot; 3,652 signatures needed by late August, nearly 1,5
    “Local leaders in Butte-Silver Bow, Yellowstone, and Missoula counties have launched petitions to require voter approval for new or expanded data centers”
    News report · Feb. 2026 · grade C
  • Initial land closing (set for Oct 15, 2025) missed; closing extended to Feb 11, 2026 while Sabey negotiated resources and finalized designs
    “The land sale is still contingent on a closing, which was initially set for Oct. 15, but Sabey said it was not ready to make the purchase by that date”
    News report · Oct. 2025 · grade C