LOGAN — Box Elder County commissioners were placed under police protection this week after receiving threats over a controversial vote regarding a massive artificial intelligence data center proposed in the region.
Commissioner Lee Perry, speaking Wednesday on KVNU’s “For the People,” confirmed the threats followed a Monday vote to enter an interlocal agreement with the Military Installation Development Authority. The state-run authority, known as MIDA, is poised to oversee the multibillion-dollar tech project slated for private, unzoned land in western Box Elder County.
Perry clarified the commission’s vote was not an approval to build the facility, but rather a strategic maneuver to ensure local leaders retain a voice in a process largely controlled by the state and private developers.
“Everybody kept saying you’re voting for a data center, and I know that it could be semantics, but we actually were voting to join MIDA and have MIDA take over control of this area and work with us to give us a seat at the table,” Perry said. “We didn’t officially vote and say, ‘Yes, build the data center.'”
The proposed project has drawn intense public backlash, with residents and scientists raising concerns over the immense water and energy required to cool and power AI servers. While the MIDA project area encompasses up to 40,000 acres, Perry noted the actual development footprint would be significantly smaller, potentially maxing out at a 5,000-acre campus.
Because the land falls under MIDA’s jurisdiction, the county will not collect standard property taxes. However, Perry noted the county negotiated substantial financial concessions to mitigate the impact on local infrastructure, including fire, police, ambulances and roads.
“They’re going to be paying over $5 million a year to the county to monitor them and provide them the services necessary while they build this,” Perry said.
Before any construction can begin, the development must still secure permits from the state Department of Environmental Quality and complete necessary environmental studies.