Grand County Utah Weighs Data Center Ban, Hires Consultant
Grand County commissioners unanimously approved up to $5,000 for Sunrise Engineering to draft options for regulating data centers, including a possible countywide ban or rules allowing smaller facilities. Officials are concerned about the facilities' potential electricity and water demands, while a temporary pause on data-center applications remains in effect through Jan. 3, 2027.
Grand County commissioners hired Sunrise Engineering to prepare draft land-use language covering two alternatives: prohibiting data centers outright or allowing smaller facilities under conditions related to water, power, location, noise, lighting and building size. The county currently lacks data-center-specific standards, and officials are reviewing how existing utility-overlay rules could apply to related infrastructure such as substations.
The policy debate is driven by estimates that a mid-sized data center could use two to four times the county's current annual electricity consumption and water equivalent to roughly 25% to 50% of Moab's annual aquifer draw. Planning commissioners remain divided, with Robert O'Brien supporting a ban and Randy Day favoring conditional approvals, while county officials continue to weigh legal and financial considerations. The county's temporary regulation pausing data-center applications, approved July 7, is set to expire Jan. 3, 2027; public hearings and further commission review are expected after the consultant submits its drafts.