Data Center Giant Cuts Size in Half Amid Environmental Backlash—Still Dwarfs Manhattan

The data center industry's expansion is increasingly facing resistance from environmental and water concerns, and this Utah project exemplifies the clash between tech infrastructure needs and sustainability. As AI and cloud computing fuel exponential growth in computing needs, communities and regulators are increasingly leveraging public pressure to shape—and significantly reduce—these megaprojects. The fact that even this downsized facility will still cover more area than Manhattan underscores just how massive the infrastructure challenge has become.