Another data center project ruffles feathers just south of Utah’s border
May 20, 2026, 4:04 PM
The city of Page, Arizona approved a 500-acre land sale in October to a company that intends to develop a 1 GW data center. According to Page, Arizona's FAQ about the project, the possible data center would be built about two miles away from the iconic Horseshoe Bend along the Colorado River, which is a little more than five miles away from Lake Powell.(Page Police Department)
(Page Police Department)
SALT LAKE CITY — While many Box Elder County residents have been fighting to save Utah’s water from a massive data center proposal, a similar fight has been taking place just across the Utah-Arizona border.
The city of Page, Arizona approved a 500-acre land sale in October to a company that intends to develop a 1 GW data center. According to Page, Arizona’s FAQ about the project, the possible data center would be built about two miles away from the iconic Horseshoe Bend along the Colorado River, which is a little more than five miles away from Lake Powell.
Related: A look at what’s inside and around Box Elder County’s proposed Stratos data center site
Page residents have been speaking out against the project at city council meetings. Their primary concerns have to do with noise and light pollution, tourism, and water. However, they are also concerned about the lack of information, especially since city officials were sworn to secrecy during the early days of the project because they had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Those NDAs have since expired, but residents are still frustrated with the scant details about the project.
“While members of the council have stated that the data center’s water use will be net zero, I have yet to see that in writing,” said Page resident, Shelby Statham at a recent city council meeting. “There’s no mention of it in the ordinance that was passed last October.”
Related: A new water rights law will directly affect the Box Elder data center. Here’s how
Many of the speakers at that city council meeting wore T-shirts that read: “Unreasonable citizen against the data center.” In addition to water, they also asked questions about whether the noise and light pollution from the data center would be an eyesore for residents or impact tourism due to its proximity to Horseshoe Bend. The concerns do not stop there.
“We will ensure environmental studies to protect the ancestral lands of the Navajo nation, the sacred dying and drying Colorado River. … and lest we forget, the majority of the community that opposes this nightmare,” said Michelle Zea.
However the city’s website touts some possible benefits to the project, including tax revenue and jobs.
Related: Data centers have to report water usage, under new Utah law
“Preliminary analysis indicates that the primary fiscal benefit would come from ongoing electricity consumption, which is subject to local taxation, and based on standard assumptions could reasonably result in annual revenues to the City in excess of $10 million once fully operational. Additional benefits may include short-term construction-related economic activity and a more diversified local economy that is less dependent on seasonal tourism.”
Page city leaders said the project is still in its early stages and nothing has been decided yet.
“A data center is not currently under construction in Page,” reads a statement on their website. “City Council approved Ordinance 744-25, a land sale agreement that establishes a feasibility period for a potential future project. No construction, zoning, utilities, or development approvals have been granted. Any future project would require separate development approvals.”
The city also clarified there is currently no approval or agreement for a data center to use municipal water or water from Lake Powell at this time.
