Calling All Iron County Citizens!

Your action is kindly requested on the following issue:

The Antelope Data Center, a major artificial intelligence (AI) data center project has been proposed for Iron County. This project is located about 15 miles northwest of Cedar City, Utah, and spearheaded by Pronghorn Development, LLP. This project will have significant and dire consequences for Iron County including water usage, power usage, and sound and air pollution. As of March, 2026, the Iron County Planning Commission is reviewing the conditional use permit applications for this data center and its associated power plant. The Iron County Commission will make the final call. Please take the time to reach out to our Iron County Commission members to let them know your thoughts and concerns about this proposed project!

You can use the email or telephone templates below:

— EMAIL TEMPLATE: 

Send to the three members of Iron County Planning Commission:

Ken Robinson: kenrobinson@ironcountyut.gov
Mike Bleak: mbleak@ironcountyut.gov
Paul Cozzens: pcozzens@ironcountyut.gov

Dear Commissioner,
RE: Proposed Data Center, Cedar City, Utah.

As a member of the Iron County community, I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed data center in Cedar City. 
While I understand the potential for economic investment, the long-term costs to our community far outweigh the possible benefits, and the recent public meeting made it clear that there is strong resistance from those living and working in the area. As an official representing our city, we are calling on you to truly represent the wishes of the people and to resist being seduced by the financial incentives being offered by paid lobbyists or data center representatives.

My primary concerns are as follows:

1. Water Scarcity and Quality: Cedar City and the surrounding Iron County area already face significant water challenges. I understand that this data center is to be a “closed loop” system. However, the terminology, “closed loop” may be misleading. If the data center uses cooling towers, the “closed loop” is simply a closed pipe between servers and towers.To cool that water, the tower evaporates water into the air, and when that water evaporates it needs to be replenished. In addition, the evaporative process leaves minerals behind. To prevent “scaling” (mineral crust), the system must regularly dump a portion of this mineral-rich water—called blowdown—and replace it with fresh water. The discharged water contains  Biocides (to prevent Legionella) and scale inhibitors. These pollutants are released to the environment. 
The other type of “closed loop,” as already noted, uses millions of gallons for its initial fill, and since there is no evaporative cooling, data centers using this system require significantly more electricity to run the massive fans needed to move that heat into the atmosphere. The latter point moves us to the next disadvantage to our community. 

2. Energy Consumption: These facilities consume massive amounts of electricity, which leads to higher utility rates for local residents and strains our existing power grid, as has been the case in other communities hosting data centers.

3. Air Pollution: I have grave concerns about  the impact on our local air quality. These facilities often rely on large banks of diesel generators for backup power, emitting nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. In a valley that has already seen a rise in poor quality air days, this risk to our health and clear desert skies is unacceptable.

4. Limited Job Growth: Despite their large footprint, data centers typically employ a relatively small number of permanent staff. The long-term job creation does not justify the environmental impact.

5. Noise and Land Use: The industrial nature of data centers, including constant noise from cooling fans, is inconsistent with the character of our community.
I urge the Iron County Planning Commission to prioritize the protection of our natural resources and the well-being of our citizens by reconsidering this proposal.

Respectfully,
[Your Name]

— PHONE SCRIPT:

Call the three members of Iron County Planning Commission:

Ken Robinson: (435) 691-5014
Mike Bleak: (435) 590-9666
Paul Cozzens: (435) 590-7618

“Hello, my name is [state your name].

As a member of the Iron County community, I’m calling to express my strong opposition to the proposed data center in Cedar City. I urge you to respond to the wishes of people living in this area who view the prospect of a data center as detrimental. Only a pitiful handful of jobs would be created, and we would face higher utility bills, dirtier air, depletion of our precious water supply, polluted water being released, and noise and heat pollution. None of these should be considered as trade-offs against potential financial gains. Please prioritize the protection of our natural resources and the well-being of our citizens by reconsidering this proposal.

Thank you for your time.”