Commissioners received updates on early‑stage data‑center interest and county infrastructure plans, and heard a detailed landfill report about disposal and fire risks posed by lithium‑ion batteries.

On data centers: Terry Palmer (building and zoning) said the county has engaged with three potential data‑center companies and that a conditional‑use application from Pronghorn Enterprises for property on Antelope Springs Road (Jones property) had been submitted. "They are looking at doing a $600,000,000,000 project," Palmer said on the record; staff characterized that number as what the applicant described. Palmer also said the applicants planned to be self‑contained with on‑site power generation (Pronghorn reportedly favored a gas power plant option) and that water use was expected to be minimized through recirculation, though precise acre‑foot estimates were not provided. Staff said the application was expected to appear on the planning commission agenda in January if it is complete.

Commissioners discussed power and water delivery, whether projects would build their own generation, and regulatory or permitting pathways for large thermal‑intensive facilities. One commissioner noted other counties’ experience with major data‑center projects and potential fiscal effects.

On roads and materials: Public works staff described Iron Springs Road engineering and plan to include county‑stockpiled landfill material as part of the road base in the upcoming bid package; the project coordination will align Iron Springs Road and a related I‑highway segment to create a dovetailed construction sequence.

On the landfill: landfill management reported participation in DEQ training, a state push for recycling and concerns about lithium‑ion batteries. Staff described recent incidents in the pit where batteries caused fires and explained the difficulty and cost of safely storing and transporting used lithium‑ion batteries for proper disposal. County managers said they are coordinating regionally to find acceptable disposal sites, consider PR messaging and evaluate storage options; they noted disposal freight and storage infrastructure costs may be high and that a committee of landfill managers is studying options.

Takeaway: data‑center interest is active but at a pre‑permitting stage; the county is preparing for potential infrastructure impacts on roads and utilities. Landfill fire risks from batteries are an operational and public‑safety concern the county is still working to resolve.