Salt Lake Tribune highlights new planned data center in Utah
A proposed 2600-acre data center project by Bright Knight in Iron County, Utah, is facing strong public opposition due to concerns about water, energy, and environmental impacts. The project, which includes a natural gas power plant, is currently under review by the Iron County Planning Department as a conditional use permit proposal. Residents voiced overwhelming opposition at a public meeting.
Residents in Cedar City, Utah, and surrounding areas expressed overwhelming opposition to a proposed data center project by Bright Knight at a public meeting. The project, encompassing 2600 acres located approximately 40 miles west of Cedar City in Iron County, includes plans for a natural gas power plant, a battery energy storage system, and the data center itself. Bright Knight submitted a conditional use permit proposal to the Iron County Planning Department last week.
Community members, including Jason Graph, packed a meeting room to voice concerns and ask questions. Key issues raised by residents included the project's substantial water demands, estimated at 1900 acre-feet per year for the 1.5 gigawatt site, as well as potential heat island effects, noise, air quality, and overall energy consumption. The entire state of Utah currently uses about 4 gigawatts of power, highlighting the scale of the proposed facility.
In addition to the Bright Knight proposal, the Iron County Planning Commission is also reviewing the Antelopee Data Center, a 640-acre project that would feature on-site natural gas generation. Further north in the state, Kevin Olirri's hyperscale Stratos data center project in Box Elder County continues to encounter fierce public opposition.