By Amanda Manchester
Uinta County Herald
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

EVANSTON — Discussions regarding Prometheus Hyperscale’s proposed data center grew tense during the standing-room-only commission meeting held at the Mountain View Town Hall on Tuesday, May 19. 

Residents representing all communities throughout Uinta County patiently waited to address their concerns during public comment. 

Troy Luebe, of Mountain View, pointedly asked each commissioner how they would vote on the data center if given the chance. 

“I don’t know that I can answer that because I don’t know what the request is going to be. I don’t know exactly where it’s going to be,” replied Chair Mark Anderson.

Commissioner Eric South said that he initially voted in favor of the development, but because he’s now unsure of its precise location, he’s “in the same position.” 

Commissioner Brent Hatch echoed previous sentiments. 

“At this point, I don’t know enough about this one,” he said. 

The precise location — previously reported by Uinta County Economic Development Director Gary Welling as Aspen Mountain — has changed to an unspecified site within the same confines of the private acreage. 

Evanstonian Tina Johnson listed several concerns, ranging from the fact that Prometheus Hyperscale founder and CEO Trenton Thornock is related to Commissioner South; that the development will be built on private land, thereby securing senior water rights for its private usage versus for the municipalities; the ties between the project and the World Economic Forum, namely Trevor Neilson; and an alleged non-disclosure agreement with the investment group Blackstone Inc. 

The latter indictment brought immediate denials from the commission.

“It’s not just a small-scale process that we’re going through,” Johnson said. 

“Uinta County seems to be the epicenter of something much, much bigger, and I think that the people deserve to know what is going on,” she said, urging transparency. 

“Whether any of us like it or not, you included, they’re pretty much going to do this,” Ben Governale of Millburne said, suggesting the proposal is “an interest in national security.” Anderson disagreed, responding that the county and/or the planning and zoning commissions could still deny the request. 

“Do we really have a voice in this?” Governale pressed. 

Uinta County Deputy Attorney Hunter Peterson addressed the crowd’s concerns. 

“This is a private project on private land funded with private money,” he said. “We have no reason to believe that either local state or federal government is involved.” 

Peterson maintained that the data center “has to go through the exact same planning and zoning procedures that every single citizen of this county or anywhere in the world would have to go through in order to build something in our county.” 

Peterson also paraphrased the county’s comprehensive plan, saying, “Before they approve any planning and zoning project, they take into account the health and welfare of the citizens of the county, if the project fits with our goals and economic policies.” 

He said further that the developers “have the burden to prove that they aren’t going to harm the citizens of Uinta County.” 

“We do have a voice,” Peterson continued. “You’ll have more chances to say ‘yea’ or ‘nay,’ but the folks that you elected, as a citizen of Uinta County, are going to be the ones that have final say.” 

Governale inquired when the commission initially entertained the proposal, to which Anderson responded 2022. 

Referring to the last election in 2024, Governale replied that “nothing was really stated on their position at that time.” 

Mountain View Mayor Bryan Ayres addressed the commission with information he’d gathered on his own. Upon speaking with a Cheyenne city council member, Ayres said the data centers’ water usage there is “seemingly a drop in the bucket” at 1.48% of the capital city’s total. He also said the eastern side of the state’s electric power supplier, Black Hills Energy, “guarantees that the rates of their residents and other businesses will not be affected by the higher demand,” suggesting the commission attempt to strike a similar agreement with Rocky Mountain Power. 

“One of the benefits to a community to have a data center is for the government to collect sales tax on electricity,” Ayres said. 

“We know that it’s going to create some short-term jobs and it’s going to create some long-term jobs,” Urie resident Todd Jones said. “That’s going to have an economic impact on our area.” 

Tina Bond of Mountain View said, “We can’t differentiate what’s good research and what’s bad research because AI is out there, and it’s going to tell you what they want you to hear … it’s a catch 22.” 

Evanston resident Susan Higgs inquired how to find out about public notices without a subscription to the newspaper. The commission encouraged her to visit the planning and development tab located at: www. uintacountywy.gov. 

Prometheus Hyperscale will host a public forum from 4 to 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, in the Portland Rose room at the Roundhouse in Evanston. The Planning and Zoning Commission will also hold a public hearing the following evening at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27, at the commission chambers at the Uinta County Complex. 

The public is invited to attend and engage in both of the proceedings.

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