Decoding The Strategic Ambiguity Of The Huntley Data Center Deal
The City of Page, Arizona, is facing intense public scrutiny and opposition over its proposed $10 billion, 1,000-megawatt data center project with Huntley LLC. While the city assures residents of a low-impact, risk-free deal, the developer admits that securing a viable power supply is a major unresolved contingency. Public officials have remained silent, leading to a policy change that now requires public votes on non-disclosure agreements, signaling a shift away from previous secrecy.
The City of Page, Arizona, is grappling with significant public backlash and strategic ambiguity surrounding its proposed $10 billion, 1,000-megawatt data center project near Horseshoe Bend, developed by Huntley LLC, a subsidiary of Hollybrook. Despite the city's official stance, which minimizes the project's impact and risks, residents are being told to disregard "unverified claims" and rely solely on city-provided information.
However, Keith Moran, Group Operations Director for Hollybrook, revealed that grid capacity is the "single most material outstanding contingency," contradicting the city's public confidence. Residents have consistently voiced opposition at council meetings, yet the five council members who approved the land sale have remained silent when approached by the Lake Powell Chronicle. Councilor Debi Roundtree defended the city's due diligence on Facebook, citing a Harvard Gazette article about data center risks as validation for the project's contingency period, despite the fact that the land sale was approved in October 2025, months before such studies could be completed.
The article highlights discrepancies in the city's narrative, noting that the 1,000-megawatt power requirement, comparable to Glen Canyon Dam's output, challenges the claim of no municipal resource commitment. The financial structure of the deal also raises questions, as the 500 acres were appraised at $14,000 per acre as "bare raw land," while a residential sale in the same agenda packet was priced nearly five times higher. The city’s public information officer, Adam Geller, attempted to steer media coverage towards the developer's claims of "immersion cooling" and "closed-loop" water systems, yet official documentation verifying these expensive technologies is still pending.
Amid the controversy, the City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 751-26 in April, stripping the city manager of unilateral authority for non-disclosure agreements related to property sales, now requiring a public council vote. This policy shift is seen as an implicit acknowledgment of past governance failures. The article concludes by questioning the city's prioritization of an industrial tenant over residential growth that could address the local housing crisis, suggesting that the "Trust Us" narrative risks eroding public trust in shaping Page's future.