Sanpete County Planning Commission opens discussion on data centers and solar farms

MANTI—The Sanpete County Planning Commission discussed developing ordinances on solar farms and data centers during a meeting Tuesday, May 5.

Noting the county currently has no ordinances or zoning provisions addressing either use, Vice Chair Claudia Jarrett said establishing regulations is necessary to protect residents and guide future development if such proposals emerge.

No public comment was taken during the meeting.

“We need to get some kind of idea of how we want to address an ordinance, what it should look like for data centers,” Jarrett said. “This is huge … we’re saying we’re going to address it.”

County Commissioner Mike Bennett, who called for the discussion to be placed on the planning commission agenda, emphasized local governments cannot outright prohibit such projects if developers meet requirements that are in place at the time of an application. But if zoning designations and standards are in place, data center developers would have to comply with them.

“I don’t know if we would ever attract a data center. Who knows? But you never know. So, we better have something in an ordinance. 100%,” he said.

Concerns were raised about impacts of solar arrays, including maintenance and cleanup if projects are abandoned. Jarrett said researching how other Utah counties manage similar developments will be key to crafting local policy.

“I think that it’s going to take some research,” Jarrett said. “There are lot of solar farms in Sevier County and a lot of solar farms in Juab County. I see them all up and down the freeway. So, we need to get some kind of idea of how we want to address an ordinance, what it should look like for that, and (for) data centers.

“There are 22 data centers in Utah currently operating, so we probably just need to get some good data (and) some information and then have a work meeting.”

Reached while on a business trip, Planning Commission Chairman Cody Harmer gave a thumbs down to a data center. “I can assure you if anything comes before me about any data centers in our county, I will absolutely fight against it and do everything possible to keep it from happening,” Harmer said.

Officials said additional research along with public hearings would be required before presenting or adopting any regulations.

Meanwhile, Box Elder County commissioners unanimously approved measures last week allowing the massive “Stratos Project” data center campus to move forward in a rural portion of the county.

Backed by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary and coordinated with the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), the project could span approximately 40,000 acres and produce up to 9 gigawatts of power for artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

(MIDA is a Utah state quasi-governmental entity created in 2007 to support military installations, facilitate economic development and manage public-private partnerships. MIDA can act as a developer and municipality for project areas.)

Supporters of such installations cite jobs and tax revenue, but in Box Elder there was a public outcry about potential environmental impacts, including increased emissions, heavy energy demand and potential strain on water resources.

At the meeting where the measures were approved, a large crowd of residents showed up to voice concerns that the approval process moved too quickly and lacked transparency.

A Pew Research Center analysis, dated April 13, says a major shift is underway in where data centers are being built in the United States. More than 1,500 facilities are currently in the planning stage, and unlike existing ones, most of which are in urban areas, about two-thirds of future projects are expected to be in rural communities. According to the Pew report, a significant share will be built in counties that currently have no data centers.

Pew researchers suggest this growth reflects rising demand for computing power, especially for AI (artificial intelligence) and cloud services, and rural areas are increasingly targeted for land and infrastructure capacity.

Elsewhere, Maine lawmakers approved a bill in April to temporarily restrict new, large data centers over 20 megawatts until November 2027 to give the state time to assess the impacts.

But Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the measure, and the legislature was unable to override the veto, leaving the possibility of development intact.
In Oregon, Amazon agreed to pay a $20.5 million settlement after allegations arose that its data centers contributed to nitrate contamination in northeast Oregon’s groundwater. Pollution has reportedly affected wells in two rural counties, raising health concerns. Despite agreeing to pay the settlement, Amazon denied wrongdoing.

Gov. Spencer Cox has voiced broad support for data center development in Utah, framing it as both an economic and national security priority. He has said states have an “obligation” to accommodate such facilities, arguing they are essential to maintaining U.S. competitiveness in technology and defense.

At the national level, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on July 23, 2025, directing federal agencies to accelerate permitting for data centers. The order seeks to cut regulatory delays, expand computing and energy capacity, and strengthen artificial intelligence and advanced technology development at the federal level.