Data Centers in Great Falls
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Great Falls – Strategic Resilience and Cost Efficiency
Executive Summary
Great Falls serves as a high-security, low-cost anchor for digital infrastructure in the Northern Plains. It is a strategic choice for organizations prioritizing fiscal discipline and regional redundancy away from volatile coastal markets, providing a stable environment for disaster recovery and long-term capital investment.
Great Falls: At A Glance
| Factor | Rating / Data | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Global Connectivity Grade | B | Reliable regional access via established fiber backbones. |
| Direct Cloud On-Ramps | 0 – as of September 2025 | Nearest major connectivity hub is Seattle. |
| Power Cost | $0.05–$0.07/kWh, as of September 2025 | Industrial rates with 57% low-carbon energy mix. |
| Disaster Risk | Moderate (59.12), as of September 2025 | Favorable risk profile compared to coastal metros. |
| Tax Incentives | Yes | Local property tax abatements available for data centers. |
| Sales Tax | 0.00%, as of September 2025 | Montana maintains no state-level sales tax. |
Network & Connectivity Ecosystem
Great Falls provides a stable connectivity environment for regional operations and secondary site deployments. As of September 2025, the market serves as a bridge between major coastal hubs and the northern interior.
Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: Carrier count: over 2 as of September 2025. While provider density is lower than in major coastal metros, the existing carriers offer reliable long-haul fiber routes. This concentration ensures consistent performance for regional transport and site-to-site connectivity.
Direct Cloud On-Ramps: Over 0, enabling access to 0 cloud regions as of September 2025. There are currently no direct on-ramps for AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), or Microsoft Azure located within the city. Enterprise workloads typically access these clouds via private network interfaces (PNI) or high-capacity waves to the nearest major hubs in Seattle.
Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): Public internet exchange presence is limited as of September 2025. Most peering activity occurs through private agreements or via the nearest national regional hubs in the Pacific Northwest to ensure low-latency performance.
Bare Metal: Services are generally available through regional providers and local data center operators. Common options include configurations from providers such as Hivelocity to support custom hardware requirements.
Power Analysis
The power profile in Montana is one of the most attractive in the United States for energy-intensive computing.
Average Cost Of Power: $0.05–$0.07/kWh, as of September 2025. These industrial rates are significantly lower than the national average, providing a clear path to reduced operating expenses. The energy mix consists of 57% low-carbon and renewable sources, supporting corporate sustainability goals.
Power Grid Reliability: The local grid is well-engineered to support industrial loads with redundant substation configurations. Reliability is maintained through a resilient transmission network that services the broader region, ensuring high uptime for critical facilities.
Market Access, Business & Tax Climate
Great Falls offers a business-friendly environment that rewards long-term capital investment in digital infrastructure.
Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data centers here are located to support government, healthcare, and financial services throughout Montana. Proximity to these core sectors ensures that local enterprises have low-latency access to their critical data and applications.
Regional Market Reach: This market effectively serves the population of the Northern Plains and the inland Northwest. It is an ideal location for edge computing deployments that need to reach users in Montana and neighboring states without the high costs of coastal metros.
Tax Advantage For Data Centers: Montana is one of the few states with no sales tax, which applies to all server and cooling equipment purchases. Furthermore, the state authorizes local property tax abatements that can reduce the taxable value of data center investments by 50% or more.
Natural Disaster Risk
The environmental risk profile for Great Falls is categorized as Moderate (59.12) as of September 2025. The location is geographically stable, avoiding many of the hazards common to coastal regions.
Risk Executive Summary: The primary natural hazards include river flooding, winter weather, and lightning. Wildfires and hail are also identified as regional risks, though they are generally mitigated by facility design and site selection.
- River Flooding: A primary risk factor for specific low-lying areas.
- Winter Weather: Frequent ice and snow events require winterized facility management.
- Lightning: High frequency of strikes necessitates sturdy grounding systems.
- Wildfire: A seasonal regional risk that may affect air quality and outdoor equipment.
- Ice Storms: Seasonal risk requiring resilient infrastructure for overhead lines.
- Tornadoes: Occasional events that demand purpose-built structural integrity.
Other risks such as earthquakes or landslides are considered minor for this market. Due to its inland location, there is no risk from coastal flooding or tsunamis.
