Missoula AI company sues city over data center restrictions, citing Montana's Right to Compute Act

CubCloud AI, an 18-employee Missoula company that runs a small computing facility near the airport, has sued the city over an October zoning amendment that effectively blocks data center development within city limits. Represented by the Goldwater Institute, the company argues the rule violates Montana's 2025 Right to Compute Act because it isn't backed by a compelling government interest or narrowly tailored, and it asks the court to block enforcement so it can build a planned stand-alone computing building. City Attorney Ryan Sudbury said the law has never been tested in court and the city will defend the amendment.