Resident raises concerns about data centers and CO2 pipeline; board says planning review ongoing and affirms local-control stance

A resident used the public-comment period to urge supervisors to take a stronger, proactive stance on data centers, bitcoin pipelines and a proposed CO2 pipeline, saying these projects could harm land values, public safety and quality of life.

"There's a lot of sentiment out there," the resident said, listing concerns about land values, public health and resource effects. The resident urged the board to communicate county positions widely and to continue investigating potential impacts.

Board members answered that planning and zoning staff are reviewing solar and data-center issues and that the board previously declined to accept applications for data centers in at least some cases: "For the people that choose to pay attention to our meetings, we have done a more part to, not accept any applications for data centers," one supervisor said. A supervisor added that the board had voted to support litigation for local control through ISACS and that county representatives are engaged at the state level on related eminent-domain and pipeline issues.

The exchange: resident concerns and supervisors' response make clear the county is tracking data-center and CO2 pipeline proposals, that planning and zoning staff are gathering information and that the board has previously taken formal steps (including a vote supporting litigation) to defend local control.

Next steps: supervisors said county staff and local stakeholders will continue to monitor applications and state-level activity and that the county will keep engaging stakeholders and legal partners as appropriate.