Data Center Analysis

As part of Great Falls Development Authority’s Strategic Plan, we have explored the competitiveness of Great Falls as a location for Data Centers. The target analysis was done under grant funding from the Economic Development Administration and Montana Department of Commerce. Angelou Economics from Austin, Texas was hired to complete the Data Center analysis.

Data Centers are essentially warehouses for a variety of electronic storage and computer software utilized by a business for access, e.g. Google maintains a number of large Data Centers throughout the world that store and then make available their data upon inquiry. Data Centers require little personnel and more in terms of electricity, raw water, and a large building site.

The four primary focuses for Data Center site selection are cost of power, disaster risk, labor force availability, and taxes/real estate costs. When compared to other national potential or existing locations for Data Centers, the consultant made the following recommendations in their final report:

Angelou Economics has recommended that we do not go after them as a primary sector marketing target, however, there is some potential for attraction of one smaller center for the industrial park.

Angelou Economics has recommended that we pursue recruitment of one data center at the industrial park site by: 

• Continuing to work toward providing infrastructure onsite via TIF or other funding mechanisms. 
• Working with City to develop an agreement to grant 5 year, 50% property tax abatement for a data center that locates at Industrial Park. 
• Hiring a marketing firm to develop one sheet marketing slick enumerating site advantages to data center decision makers. 
• Advertising site in data center-specific print and online publications (e.g. data center journal, data center knowledge)