Data center developers are proposing projects worth billions of dollars here in Utah. That money comes with a host of human and environmental health costs.

I am a Utahn who has spent years facilitating dialogue between companies and their stakeholders, especially communities. Utahns should know what they are actually getting and what they are being asked to sacrifice.

Let’s consider the cost-benefit analysis that Utah communities are facing.

Economic opportunities

Most data center jobs are in temporary construction and provide “relatively few long-term jobs,” according to the Utah Foundation. Take Millard County, which has suffered industry closure and is now planning at least two hyperscale data centers — the Delta Gigasite data center campus and Joule Power project. Both have promised an economic boost, though who will receive those benefits is unclear, and public job estimates aren’t available as of this writing.

Energy use

Data centers require massive amounts of energy. Some use the grid and existing energy that the rest of us use, requiring expansive infrastructure build-outs that often raise rates for the public. Even if data centers “bring their own energy,” research shows it still affects residential and commercial rate payers. Increasing demand for the energy sources we rely on — gas supply, grid infrastructure, turbines, electrical generating plants — drives up costs.

Pollution

Data centers rely on 24/7 generation, many using some coal and natural gas, backed-up by gas generators. All of which increases our air pollution. Noise pollution from equipment, generators, and cooling systems can rise above 85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) which is harmful to our hearing, let alone wildlife.

Early estimates place the public health cost of data centers at over $20 billion by 2028 if not managed.

Water

Data centers cool their machines with water or energy-intensive alternatives. Research from Oregon shows that wastewater from this process is contaminated, another cost on the public to treat. The Joule data center in Delta estimates using 3.2 billion gallons of water per year, enough for a small city. Is it the best and highest use of water in a dry region of an already drought-stressed state?

Land use

Data centers can be thousands of square feet to hundreds of U.S. football fields. In Millard, the proposed site is 20-million-square-feet. Add to this that data centers are being found to increase the temperatures around them to create “heat islands.” This is land, water and energy that could be used to feed and house people or create more permanent jobs.

Even if data centers are on private land, their operations impact their neighbors or the rest of the state. Utahns being faced with data center development should advocate for clear costs and benefits to decide if they are willing to host.

So, here’s what to ask for:

Ask for hard numbers of short- and long-term job creation, paired with commitments for local hiring, ideally through a community benefit agreement (CBA/CBP). This should include timelines and accountability measures to ensure those jobs are filled and maintained locally, and pay a living wage.

Ask what commitments the community will get in exchange for data centers. If data centers are bringing in tax revenue — while also being offered tax breaks by states — where is that revenue going and how will it mutually benefit the area?

Ask how energy is being generated for the site, and what guarantees the ratepayers won’t see rate increases due to data centers. Require renewable energy commitments and battery storage instead of fossil fuel power and gas back-up generators, and guarantees that no usable land is being cleared for energy generation.

Ask for the environmental impact assessment. If one isn’t available, talk to your city council members about requiring one for all new development, especially documenting public health, noise pollution and water use, and completed by an independent third-party.

Ask about water. Where it is being sourced? What sustainability measures are being implemented? How is wastewater is being treated before it is released into water ways? Seek binding guarantees that water rates won’t increase or be limited in the region, and accountability measures in case of extreme water stress.

Data center development should be transparently planned, regulated and require community commitments to be in place before permitting. Communities should have the right to refuse data center development. If city council members, developers or local leaders don’t want to even consider the above, ask why and whose priorities they are serving.

These recommendations can add time and cost for data center developers, but they are a small price to pay for the quality of life that we’ve historically enjoyed here in Utah. Our land’s resources underpin that. We need to demand standards that protect us.

Kajsa Hendrickson is a sustainability professional and bridge builder in West Jordan. She works with energy developers to build stakeholder engagement and impact evaluation programs that strengthen community trust and accelerate the energy transition.

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