Planning commission considers AI data center near Cedar City

CEDAR CITY — A proposed AI data center in Iron County is sparking a lot of conversations in the community.

The project, known as Antelope Data Center, is being spearheaded by Pronghorn Development. It has an estimated $30 million in built-out value and proposes using approximately 640 acres of unincorporated land about 15 miles northwest of Cedar City.

Developers met on March 5 at Festival Hall in Cedar City for a scheduled public hearing before the planning commission regarding a conditional use permit. About 350 residents attended. Iron County planner Brett Hamilton said that this was all part of the process, adding that he appreciated the turnout.

"A lot of times folks feel like their comments fall on deaf ears," Hamilton told KSL. "Oftentimes, the public comments really help lend themselves to those areas where they would like the planning commission to look at and address."

The meeting lasted several hours, with many residents voicing concerns about water usage, as data centers consume vast amounts of water primarily for cooling.

According to materials provided by the developer, the data center would use what is called a closed-loop cooling system, that is designed to circulate and reuse water. Documents also say there would be a one-time fill of roughly 2.6 million gallons (8 acre-feet). There is also a projected annual use of about 3.13 acre-feet of water for indoor and outdoor use, including employee facilities and landscaping. This annual use is said to be comparable to what five to six houses use combined.

Residents expressed concerns over the lack of monitoring if the facility goes over the projected water use.

"We understand that we're in a water basin area that has a limited supply," Hamilton said. "We understand that it is not unlimited. When it comes to the water, that is one of those factors that the planning commission is just going to have to weigh out, based on the information the applicant has provided, with estimates of the water use that they are proposing to use.

"The planning commission has the ability to look at that to regulate and mitigate those issues. ... Because it's a land use permit, the planning commission would have the ability to require metering of all water usage and require that it be reported so that if they're exceeding an established amount. The planning commission would then have conditions that would kick in and trigger the need to look at the project again and potentially revoke the conditional use permit."

Pronghorn Development spokesperson Scott Cuthbertson said that they "recognize that responsible growth in southern Utah requires a deep commitment to water stewardship."

"By utilizing industry-leading conservation technologies and an innovative site design, we have ensured that this project's water footprint is significantly lower than traditional developments of this scale," Cuthbertson told KSL. "We are committed to being part of the solution for the region's sustainable future."

Other concerns were brought up regarding the "irreversibility" of such a project, with one resident at the meeting stating, "We cannot market solitude, stargazing and intact desert landscapes on one hand, and industrialize a square mile of high desert on the other."

Hamilton said that as the planning commission moves through the decision process, it will take into account all who have lent their voices and weigh that against code requirements and the developer's compliance with those codes.

"I really appreciate the folks who have specified certain impacts that they think need addressed," Hamilton said. "Some have even given potential solutions. (The decision) comes down to what the code requirements are, what the impacts are, and can those impacts be mitigated.

"The planning commission are the ones who have the harder job because they're the ones who have to weigh on these things and make the decisions," he continued. "They are bound by different codes and regulations. If they were to make an approval, do they have the right mitigations and conditions they need to limit impacts? If they want to deny it, do they have the findings they need in order to hold up in a court case if it were to go to that? There are a lot of things that need to be weighed out."

The project is still under review by the Iron County Planning Commission, and Hamilton said he hopes to have frequently asked questions available on the county website in the coming weeks.

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