Company to develop a 5,000-acre site outside Billings
Quantica Infrastructure, a new venture focused on providing land and power to data centers in the US, has detailed its first project.
The company this week introduced its flagship development platform, Big Sky Digital Infrastructure, a 5,000-acre energy and digital infrastructure campus outside Billings, Montana.
The company said the project will initially offer 500MW of capacity via renewable power and battery energy storage, expandable to 1GW. The company plans to start construction of the Big Sky Campus beginning in 2026.
“Montana has always been a state that builds its future on the strength of its people and natural resources,” said Damon Obie, co-founder of Big Sky Digital Infrastructure. “The Big Sky Campus represents a unique opportunity to build on the industries that powered our history with the digital economy that will define our future. This project is about creating opportunities for Montanans, so our communities can thrive in the digital age while staying true to our values and heritage.”
NorthWestern Energy Group has been tapped to provide energy services to Quantica in Montana. The company said the first predicted load for Phase I of development totals 500MW, with capacity to grow to 1GW. Initial electric service could begin as early as 2026, reaching 500MW by 2030.
Investment firm EnCap announced the launch of Quantica last week. The new firm is led by John Chesser, who was previously CFO of Talen Energy.
“A well-planned digital economy can support communities through employment opportunities and infrastructure investments,” said Chesser, also named as co-founder of Big Sky Digital Infrastructure.
“Having begun this journey in 2024 when we formed Quantica, we are excited to announce the Big Sky Campus to our customers and our community partners. This project uses the rising demand for hyperscale, AI, and cloud computing to deliver land, renewable energy, and high-speed fiber in one integrated solution.”
Quantica aims to provide master-planned sites located close to clean energy (wind, solar, and battery storage) and grid interconnection points that also offer good fiber access.
The company said the Montana site is expected to be connected to “hundreds of miles of new fiber-ready underground conduit,” while affiliates will develop large-scale renewable energy and battery energy storage at the site to support the campus.
Founded in 1988, EnCap Investments is a provider of growth capital to the US energy sector. The firm has raised 25 institutional investment funds totaling approximately $47 billion. The EnCap Energy Transition platform was founded in 2019, focused on investing in renewable energy and battery storage, it currently manages more than $2.7 billion across two funds.
Montana does not have a significant data center market. Billing is the most populous city in Montana, but Data Center Map lists just two facilities from local operators in the city.
Ziply and Hyperscale Data’s Sentinum unit both operate facilities in the Treasure State. Atlas Power also operates a site in Butte. TeraWulf/Beowulf previously planned to operate a crypto site in Hardin, but this never came to fruition.
Crusoe deployed cryptomining modules powered by flared gas in the state, but has since divested them to NYDIG. Atlanta-based TAC Data Centers, an affiliate of real estate firm Ardent, is planning a 600MW campus in Great Falls, some 200 miles northwest of Billings.
