Box Elder County farmers express concerns over proposed AI data center
News Clip1:12KSL News Utah·Snowville, Box Elder County, UT·5/20/2026
Residents and farmers in Box Elder County, Utah, are expressing significant concerns about a proposed large-scale AI data center and power plant, fearing its environmental impact, particularly on local water resources like the Bear River. They are worried the project is progressing too rapidly without adequate public information or input from county leaders.
environmentaloppositiongovernmentwater
Gov: Box Elder County
People like Travis Johnson are worried that plans for a proposed massive data center and power plant could be moving too fast, without giving people and Box Elder County leaders enough time to truly understand its potential impact on the area. Two patches of the proposed project area sit to the west and northwest of the town.
"I just don't think it's good ... for the environment," Johnson said. "But I just don't know a lot about it. I wish they'd at least get with people and give us more information on what it's going to bring, what the bottom line is, what their goal is."
About a mile across town, Neil Thompson shared similar concerns.
"They were sneaky about it," Thompson said. "Snowville and us have one little stream. The Bear River is used from Wyoming, clear down to here, and I just don't want it ruined."
----
Socials for KSL TV:
https://twitter.com/KSL5TV
https://www.facebook.com/ksltv
https://www.instagram.com/kslnews/
Socials for KSL NewsRadio:
https://twitter.com/kslnewsradio
https://www.facebook.com/KSLNewsradio/
https://www.instagram.com/ksl_newsradio/