Congressman Blake Moore, who represents Box Elder County, broke his silence on the proposed data center in a statement to the Deseret News on Thursday.
His Republican primary opponent also spoke out amid public backlash over approval of the data center after concerns were raised about water consumption in a state in the midst of a drought.
In a statement to the Deseret News, Moore decried reports of recent threats targeting Box Elder County commissioners who approved the data center project earlier this week. Moore defended the local officials by saying they are “engaged in the process” to ensure the proposed center would benefit local residents.
“The acrimony, threats, and vitriol that have become commonplace against elected officials must stop. It’s nonsense that this is becoming our political discourse here in Utah,” Moore said. “(Officials) are trying to ensure that Box Elder County residents can experience the benefits of this development for future generations.”
Moore did not outright endorse the data center, but appeared to support the county engaging in a project that developers say would help boost national security efforts. The Utah Republican also expressed hope that the project could be carried out while also protecting natural resources in the state.
“From transcontinental travel to launching society into space, and mastering our nation’s military superiority, Box Elder has demonstrated its ability to be a part of the solution,” Moore said. “Balancing stakeholder rights and responsibilities makes government very difficult. I am hopeful that with local collaboration this project will be able to balance responsible stewardship of natural resources and water, while continuing Northern Utah’s long legacy of being a critical component of our nation’s security.”
Lisonbee, Moore’s primary challenger, also responds to data center
State Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, who is vying to unseat Moore in the Republican primary, cited concerns with the process in which the project was approved, telling the Deseret News that voters in the district deserve more transparency.
“It took almost all of us by surprise, including the county commissioners,” Lisonbee told the Deseret News in a statement. “A public vote was held with many residents in attendance, yet no public comment was allowed. You cannot have public governance without the public’s voice.”
While not supporting nor opposing the project, Lisonbee noted there are still unanswered questions about the impact of the data center — saying other states that approved similar projects in the past “are only now realizing their data center tax incentives carry a high price tag.”
“We still have unanswered questions about the massive impact these data centers have on our water and natural gas prices,” Lisonbee said. “We must rethink how we give away tax dollars in Utah. The Legislature should address the issues I’ve highlighted.”
Lisonbee offered to host two public hearings with the Box Elder County Commission and the Military Installation Development Authority, the state authority backing the installation. Lisonbee said the group has been given outsize authority in the state.
Responses come after public backlash
It’s the first time either Moore or Lisonbee has publicly commented on the Box Elder data center since it’s been proposed.
Their responses come after public backlash has grown over the data center as opponents worry the facility would threaten water resources in the area, particularly with the shrinking Great Salt Lake. Protesters sought to interrupt the commissioners’ meeting earlier this week, but the officials ultimately approved the project.
Plans for the data center first came to light last month, sparking public debate over the environmental impacts it would have on the Great Salt Lake and the surrounding region. The center would take up about 40,000 acres across three plots of undeveloped land in the county.
The centers would then be powered by 9 gigawatts of power-generating capacity, likely from natural gas-fired plants — another element that has sparked concern about the proposal.
But developers say the center would boost the U.S. military’s access to artificial intelligence and cloud-computing capabilities, therefore helping to counter attacks by adversarial nations.
The plan was put forward by Kevin O’Leary, a celebrity businessman, and O’Leary Digital.
“I’m the only developer of data centers on earth that graduated from environmental studies,” O’Leary said in a statement defending the project. “I’m pretty aware of what these concerns are. They are around air, water use, heat, noise pollution. So sustainability is at the heart of what we do in terms of all these proposals. We search for the best technology.”
Developers of the data center will be subject to new water reporting requirements enacted by the Utah legislature this week — a law that was passed before the data center plan was approved but proposed by state lawmakers to address concerns around the Great Salt Lake water levels.
Great Salt Lake water levels have dramatically dropped over the last decade or so, placing it on the verge of collapse, according to warnings from local scientists and researchers. If the lake were to dry up, it would expose the Wasatch Front to toxic dust and pollutants.