A proposed artificial intelligence data center in Iron County, Utah will go before the Iron County Planning Commission this Thursday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Heritage Center Festival Hall. The proposed plant will be built on Iron Springs Road.
This proposal has caused many residents to voice their concerns with the data center’s impact on the community, stating that the implementation of an AI data center will cause Cedar City’s dry desert to experience an even larger decrease in water availability.
“Iron County is already in a drought,” an anonymous flyer says. “This data center will only increase water scarcity.”
According to the proposal, the initial fill for the data center will require an estimated 2.6 million gallons of water. This is to manage the heat that is generated by the software’s powerful processing chips.
Residents are also concerned about the potential increase in utility prices and pollution, as well as the decrease in Iron County farmland.
“This will impact everyone in this area,” another flyer reads. “Your prices will increase as your quality of life decreases.”
AI data centers are designed to conserve power and provide a faster response time for AI softwares. Many Utah representatives disagree with the general public, explaining that data centers will have a beneficial impact on the state.
“If you’re evaluating Utah data centers, put cooling on your shortlist of questions right alongside power,” said the Novva Data Centers Content Team. “Cooling design impacts operating efficiency, sustainability goals and community impact.”
Utah has already begun the development of AI data centers. A plan for a center in Santaquin City was recently approved, and has an estimated tax revenue benefit of over $2.4 million. Other centers are in development in Provo and Millard County.
The public is invited to attend the Planning Commission’s public hearing on Thursday evening to voice their opinions on the matter. Further discussion and decision will take place following the hearing.
For more information, visit the Iron County website.
Author: Briar Adams
Photo: Courtesy of the Iron County Tax Watch
Editor: Hannah Clove
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