As Grist reported, a 40,000-acre data center project in northern Utah continues to face fierce opposition as local residents and environmentalists question how it will be powered.
The debate centers on the impacts of this energy source on air quality, water supply, and pollution near the Great Salt Lake.
What's happening?
After weeks of mounting criticism, Grist reported in detail how Utah Governor Spencer Cox is attempting to distance himself from the original plan. In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, he stated that the project would "never" be powered entirely by natural gas.
«"Natural gas will be used in the first phase, but it shouldn't be used in subsequent phases," Cox told the newspaper. "It should be nuclear, geothermal, solar, and other technologies.".
The planned project, known as the Stratos Project, has been approved by the Utah Military Installations Development Authority (MIDA) in Box Elder County.
As Grist noted, a MIDA spokesman previously said the power would come "100 percent" from the Ruby Pipeline, a major natural gas pipeline that runs through the remote valley.
This sparked a wave of protests. Protesters gathered outside the state Capitol building, nearly 4,000 letters were written challenging the related water rights application, and more than 6,000 people signed a letter calling on Cox to take stronger action to protect the Great Salt Lake, Grist reports.
Now the governor is criticizing the project's implementation methods and plans for its energy supply.
At the press conference, he also criticized the approval process itself, Grist reports, saying "the process was ineffective" and that such decisions should be made from the start with input from elected officials and his office.
Why is this important?
One of the challenges is the sheer scale of the proposed project. Project initiator Kevin O'Leary bills the facility as one of the world's largest data centers. However, this will not be without serious environmental consequences.
Climate scientist and analyst Logan Mitchell of Utah Clean Energy told Grist that the 9-gigawatt natural gas power plant connected to the project could emit 35 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. According to the publication, this would be enough to increase Utah's air pollution emissions by approximately 641 metric tons.
Water is another major contentious issue. Grist reported that developers are seeking to secure 13,000 acre-feet of water in Hansel Valley and surrounding areas, on land primarily used for agriculture. According to Grist, this amount would be enough to supply over 20,000 Utah households, raising new concerns in a region already grappling with the shrinking Great Salt Lake.
The debate also reflects the increasingly close relationship between artificial intelligence and the electricity grid.
The data centers that power these technologies are extremely energy-intensive, and in some cases, water-intensive. This can mean increased pollution, increased strain on utilities, and higher energy costs.
What is being done?
Cox makes it clear that state officials are not ignoring these concerns. While he previously advocated for accelerated infrastructure development, as Grist noted, he now takes a more cautious stance.
«"It feels like the future is already here," Cox said, according to the publication. "It's arriving faster than people expected, and in that future, so many amazing things could happen, and also a lot of terrible things.".
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