A wakeup call

by Tony Hudson, Save the American West


The people of Montana should understand exactly what is being proposed around them before it is too late to reverse course.

A vote for an AFP-backed candidate is not just a vote about taxes or regulation. Increasingly, it is a vote for a massive industrial transformation of the American West, one tied directly to energy-intensive data centers, expanded transmission corridors, accelerated permitting, and large-scale resource extraction ,but most catastrophically the life blood of the American West, WATER!

Americans for Prosperity, backed by the broader Koch network, has actively pushed policies supporting data-center expansion, rapid permitting reform, and “energy abundance” initiatives across the country. At the same time, Koch-affiliated investment groups are directly involved in data-center development projects through entities such as  Koch Real Estate Investments.

This is not theory. It is already happening.

In Nevada,the AFP “Battle Born “ slogan,sold a vision of economic modernization that now provides a warning to every rural Western state. Massive electrical demand growth tied largely to data centers and industrial expansion has placed extraordinary strain on regional power systems. Liberty Utilities, serving approximately 49,000 customers around Lake Tahoe, has announced the loss of its long-term power supply arrangement with NV Energy in may  2027. Residents are now facing deep uncertainty over future electrical costs and reliability , with cost estimated to increase 400%.

Meanwhile, Nevada data centers are projected to consume an enormous share of statewide electricity demand within just a few years.

Montana is now being pushed down the same road.

The promises always sound attractive at first:

“Jobs.”

“Growth.”

“Modernization.”

“Investment.”

But nobody talks honestly about the long-term consequences:

Who pays when electrical infrastructure must be massively expanded?

Who absorbs the cost when power prices spike during shortages?

Who loses water access during drought years?

Who lives beside the transmission corridors, substations, industrial facilities, and expanded mining operations required to feed this demand?

And when rural families can no longer afford the utilities needed to heat their homes, irrigate their farms, or run their businesses, who benefits then?

You do not build an AI economy without enormous energy consumption.

You do not build enormous energy systems without transmission corridors.

You do not build transmission corridors without industrial expansion.

And you do not sustain that expansion without dramatically increasing pressure on land, water, mining, and ratepayers.

One thing is for certain AFP /Koch will undoubtedly be calling on the candidates they supported.

Montana citizens deserve an honest conversation before irreversible decisions are made for them by political consultants, corporate lobbyists, and outside interests.

The issue is not whether technology should exist.

The issue is whether Montana remains a place where ordinary people can still afford to live.