Data Centers, Grizzly Bears and Wild Weather On the Horizon for 2026

As 2025 closes out, Montana Free Press reporters are reflecting on the work they’ve done over the course of the year — and what they expect to be writing about heading into 2026.

When people ask what I report on for Montana Free Press, I have a stock answer: water, wildlife, energy, climate, land use and public land management. It’s a chaotic beat in a normal year: I might chase down judicial orders on Endangered Species Act litigation one day, wade through energy utility filings the next and close out the week by reporting on a proposal to pull rare earths from one of the country’s most infam...