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Residents urge moratorium on data centers, citing concerns about electricity and water impacts
Summary
Multiple Franklin County residents used the public‑comment period to urge the Board to consider a moratorium on data centers, warning of regional electricity‑rate and water‑supply impacts and citing JLARC and EIA data in a lengthy prepared statement.
Several residents told the Board during public comment that proposed or nearby data centers pose risks to local electricity prices and water supplies and urged a moratorium while impacts are studied.
Daniel Bowman read a detailed statement on behalf of concerned citizens describing how large data centers can drive regional increases in commercial electricity demand and argued that residential customers often bear increased costs for generation and infrastructure upgrades. Bowman cited the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) report and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) regional data in his remarks and urged the Board to consider a moratorium to allow adequate study of site‑specific impacts.
Bowman and other speakers also raised concerns about data‑center water use, noting that some cooling systems are highly water‑intensive and that withdrawals from regional treatment facilities could affect reservoir levels and neighboring wells. Speakers referenced Google and other projects under development in nearby localities as examples and said local officials should not assume surface‑water withdrawals have no connection to groundwater in surrounding areas.
Board members did not take action on data centers at the meeting. Chair Lorie Smith and other supervisors accepted public comment and thanked citizens for their participation. The statements were recorded in the meeting record for Board consideration and follow‑up.
