A proposed $10 billion data center in the Mona area has Juab County residents demanding to know how the project got approved with so little public input, saying the hearing that cleared the way for it lasted just four minutes. The development would bring roughly 3 million square feet of data center space to land near Mona, making it, according to one resident, the largest project in the county's history.
Taylor Flake, spokesperson for the group Mona Cares Neighborhood for Responsible Development, told KSL News that county commissioners did not actually approve the project themselves — planning officials did, through a zone change and conditional use permit. Flake and other residents say they only learned about the proposed data center recently, and they're now asking how that zone change was ever presented to the public in the first place, and how the conditional use permit was approved at all.
Mona city leaders have said they did not know about the project beforehand either, despite its proximity to their town. Juab County planning officials approved the zone change and conditional use permit, while city leaders and residents are seeking information about the project's potential impacts.
A Permit Years in the Making
The conditional use permits at the center of the dispute have been the subject of public scrutiny. Juab County Commissioner Clint Painter has said the county posted the project notice in the locations required by the state, including a newspaper, for a total of four locations, and that the county followed state requirements for notifying the public.
Still, Painter said he did not know whether commissioners actually have the authority to cancel the conditional use permit and restart the process, and he said he would look into it. Juab County commissioners remain unclear on whether they can rescind the permit or restart the project through the county process.
Residents Push for a Hearing Before, Not After
Flake said residents want a public hearing before any future decision is made on the project, not after it's already final. Mona residents have requested a public hearing before additional project decisions move forward, and they've asked for a formal say in whatever happens next. For now, the proposed data center has no completed buildings, and residents say they plan to keep pushing for transparency as the project advances.
One Project Among Several in the County
The debate over large infrastructure projects also extends to development near Mona and Nephi. The debate over large infrastructure projects also extends to development near Mona and Nephi.
The industry calls facilities that generate their own power on-site with natural gas and microgrids, rather than waiting years in line for a utility hookup, behind-the-meter facilities, according to company materials. That model is one approach discussed in connection with data-center development.
Mona Weighs Its Own Rules
Facing outcry over approvals made at the county level, Mona City Planning and Zoning Commission was scheduled to meet on September 2. Questions about water use and disclosure are part of broader data-center discussions. A 4.7% increase in nationwide electricity demand over the next five years has been forecast. According to a Utah Governor's Office FAQ on the separate Stratos Project, data centers historically relied on evaporative cooling systems and grid-connected power sources that could indirectly require significant water.
Mona's standoff comes amid other Utah data-center opposition. In Mona, the open questions remain much the same as elsewhere: whether county commissioners can unwind a permit already granted and how the project will proceed.
