09/23/2026
The Spanish Fork City Council voted 3-2 late Monday night to approve a city code amendment that clears the way for a proposed data center at the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon.
The amendment sets rules for data centers that make their own electricity and stay disconnected from the city's power grid.
Provo-based Volition wants to put the facility inside an existing million-square-foot warehouse, and CEO Jeff Chavez tells Fox 13 the project could cost $3 billion and take up to three years to finish.
Volition has not asked the city for any tax incentives, Mayor Mike Mendenhall says during the meeting.
Under the new rules, on-site power must come from non-combustion technology like fuel cells or linear generators. Diesel generators are banned except for emergency fire pumps.
The building's existing grid connection can only power things like offices and maintenance, not the data center, even as a backup.
Water use is capped at 600,000 gallons to fill the facility's closed-loop cooling system, then 300,000 gallons a year after that.
Developers must record baseline noise levels, including low-frequency sound, over 72 hours before construction, then test again once the facility runs and every year after.
Councilman Shane Marshall says the amendment has "protected the citizens of Spanish Fork to the point where it is a less impactful use in this specific location than what could be."
Marshall, Stacy Beck and Kevin Oiler vote yes. "I would feel comfortable living next door to it," Beck says.
Jesse Carden and Landon Tooke vote no. Carden says he wants a dedicated overlay zone for data centers in place first, while Tooke says the public needs more time to learn about the rules.
"Let's not rush so much," Tooke says.
About 20 people speak during public comment. Some support the project, while others raise concerns about noise carrying through the canyon, air quality, water use and trust in Volition.
The city can only allow one self-powered data center at a time. Developers must also put up money to cover environmental testing and hazardous materials cleanup if the facility shuts down.
As part of the vote, the council directs city staff to start work on a possible data center overlay zone and review the city's noise ordinance.
Volition still needs a development agreement approved by the council and a site plan approved by city staff before construction can start.
"There's going to be another couple months of completing the engineering, then we go into permitting," Chavez tells Fox 13.
