DECLO, Idaho — A big change could be on the way for Declo, Idaho. A recently announced data center project has optioned 1,000 acres just outside of this town of about 330 people.
On Friday, TerraVolt Holdings announced in a press release that it had reached an agreement to option 1,000 acres east of Declo for a data center campus with its own natural gas power plant. The announcement has sparked discussion on a Declo community Facebook page, with some questioning the project and others defending the property owner's decision.
For Les Hedges, a small business owner and rancher, Friday's announcement has raised concerns.
"I went to high school here pretty much grew up here. This is my hometown," Hedges said.
"I've been kind of opposed to all data centers, so then when I find out one's gonna be in my backyard, I mean is proposed to be and that's less than a mile edge of that properties less than a mile from my house," Hedges said.
I spent some time at the country store gas station in Declo, where I heard from a few folks who had no issue whatsoever with the data center. The majority of people actually said they didn't know enough about it in order to register an opinion one way or the other. There will be an open house to help educate people as to the scope and size of the project coming up next week.
Data centers are not listed as a permitted use in Cassia County, so the building and zoning department and county commission would have to approve it.
In their press release, TerraVolt CEO Joel Stone addressed the project.
"We look forward to working closely with Cassia County officials and the local community to deliver responsible, long-term industrial tax base growth without impacting local power rates or the agricultural water the region depends on," Stone said.
The property seller, Jesse Wickel, posted an announcement to Facebook on Friday, asking the community to reserve judgment until after the details of the plan were made clearer.
"We made this decision with our community and our children's future in mind. We hope our daughters will have opportunities to stay here and support their families. Farming has been a meaningful part of our lives, but we also know what it means to work 16-hour days on a farm that cannot support all of our children's future families," Wickel said in the post.
Wickel said that the economic benefits and job creation were factors in the decision, and the project's plans for the off-grid power generation and closed-loop water usage helped ease his concerns before the sale.
"Respectfully, you know, Jesse has the right to sell his ground to whoever he wants. And I can't stop him from doing that. I just disagree with it. I can't support him because of my personal feelings," Hedges said.
I've reached out to both TerraVolt and Wickel, but have not yet heard back.
That open house will be held Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. at the high school auditorium.
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