Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Provo City Council denied a zoning change for a proposed data center at its meeting on Tuesday.
- The decision followed concerns about noise, environmental impact and increased energy costs.
- Residents and officials emphasized the need for further economic development study and analysis.
PROVO — A proposed zoning ordinance change that would've opened the door for a new data center in Provo's East Bay neighborhood was denied by the City Council on Tuesday — at least for now.
The project's developer, B+F Timpanogos Tech, requested to have property located at 1507 S. 180 East in Provo, where the data center would've been built, changed to an industrial commercial data center overlay zone. The property is in an industrial commercial zone.
Though Provo already has two data centers, B+F Timpanogos Tech is the first to apply for the city's recently created overlay zone in an effort to obtain permits for the proposed facility.
The proposed two-story, 130,000-square-foot facility would have been constructed on the former Novell campus, just east of the University Parkway exit off I-15, in close proximity to Sam's Club and the Provo Towne Centre.
Developers said the data center would only be powered by the city's electric grid — costs that the property owner would be responsible for covering.
"They would have to go and acquire or work with Provo city power to be able to get the power needs that they are looking for for this project, as opposed to developing the energy from the site specifically, so that helps eliminate a lot of the environmental issues that would come with generating the power on site," Dustin Wright, a city planner with Provo's development services said during his presentation to the council.
The developer also considered water conservation by proposing to use a closed-loop system for the data center for "non-consumptive purposes" that wouldn't exceed 4,380,000 gallons per year.
"This would be roughly comparable to that of a car wash or laundromat," the staff report memo reads.
The proposed center's power usage would initially be 5 megawatts, but could increase to 50 megawatts.
"We love Provo. The property owners have been good stewards of this land and feel like this is a great opportunity to provide some value to Provo, to provide gateway access into this new emerging technology as part of a great redevelopment of this area," Steve Styler, a representative for B+F Timpanogos Tech, said during the meeting.
During the Feb. 11 planning commission meeting, where the proposal was approved for recommendation to the City Council, Styler said the data center would provide additional revenue for Provo City Power as well as future opportunities for partnerships with local universities and the possibility of developing a technology workforce trained in artificial intelligence.
Despite reassurance by the developer to mitigate financial impacts for residents and its potential benefits, City Council members unanimously voted against the zoning change, citing a myriad of lingering concerns and saying they want to evaluate results from an economic development study.
Provo City Council Chairwoman Katrice MacKay told KSL that one of its big priorities for 2026 is figuring out an economic direction for the city.
"We have one of the lowest (area median incomes) in the state and have most of the low-income housing in the county, so we don't attract retail and commercial. Orem and Springville look more attractive on paper," she said in a statement on Wednesday.
MacKay added, "We know that we need to build our own economy. We are doing that with our airport and with our regional Epix sports park. We are doing this study to see if we should focus on biomedical companies, or data centers, or who knows?"
Provo residents weigh in
During Tuesday's public comment period, many who spoke against the proposed zoning change cited concerns about noise, environmental impact and increased energy costs.
East District Chair Angie Carter said she isn't anti-technology or even totally against a data center, but doesn't feel the proposed location is the best fit.
"I believe decisions about energy use, land use (and) city priorities require more time and analysis so we can move forward proactively. I urge the City Council to postpone the decision to resolve," she said.
Others argued that the data center would benefit corporations at the expense of residents, citing potential water shortages and increased energy bills.
"Despite whatever rhetoric the AI company says, to the contrary, this will undoubtedly raise power bill prices. It is completely unfair to force Provo citizens to foot the bill for a data center power and energy needs," said Brandon Larsen, a resident of Provo.
Brooklyn Brighton, a Provo resident and student at Brigham Young University, didn't balk at a data center, nor the proposed location — but suggested the matter be considered carefully and slowly. She also cited the rapid rise of AI.
"As a young Provo resident who will be here many years into the future, to be able to experience that and continue to see Utah in the ways that it echoes the best parts of Silicon Valley without the worst parts of it, I would like that to continue, and I would like that value to be preserved in our best interest," she said.
While the proposed East Bay neighborhood data center did not advance Tuesday night, MacKay said the applicant could bring the matter back before the council in the future despite being denied.
