Utah’s mega data center faces growing backlash over its enormous resource demands
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A proposal in Utah for what could become the world’s largest data center is drawing large opposition over its potential strain on energy and water supplies. The planned facility, reportedly more than twice the size of Manhattan, could require more electricity than the entire state currently consumes while also demanding enormous amounts of water in a region already facing persistent drought. Many have called the project irresponsible, warning that the rapid expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure could overwhelm local resources, raise utility costs, and force communities to confront difficult questions about who should bear the environmental and economic costs of the AI boom.
Source
Tao Y, Gao P. Global data center expansion and human health: A call for empirical research. Eco Environ Health. 2025 May 27;4(3):100157. doi: 10.1016/j.eehl.2025.100157. PMID: 40687513; PMCID: PMC12273412.
Additional Reading
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2026/0901/utah-data-centers-stratos-project
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/13/utah-approves-datacenter-backlash