LDS Church joins the tech gold rush, leasing some of its ranchland for a data center
Aetheris plans to build a 96-megawatt data center on up to 3,710 acres of church-owned Triangle Ranch near Paducah in Cottle County. The developer is seeking a county property tax abatement and has faced mixed local reaction, including concerns about water, electricity, noise and environmental impacts.
Aetheris plans to develop Project Matter, a 96-megawatt data center about 15 miles east of Paducah on land leased from Farmland Reserve, a farming subsidiary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The project could ultimately cover more than 4,000 acres and would include a proposed 180-megawatt natural gas plant. AgReserves is serving as the church-owned farming operation's agent in Texas.
Aetheris has told residents it will source project water from outside Cottle County and avoid adding demand to local electricity supplies, while promising measures to reduce noise, light and heat impacts. Cottle County Judge Karl Holloway said community sentiment is mixed. The company is seeking a property tax abatement that could last up to 10 years, with a public hearing before the Cottle County Commissioners scheduled in Paducah.