A company building what it believes will be the world’s largest data center campus is getting help from the state.
Creekstone Energy LLC’s $17 billion Millard County project recently was approved for a state tax credit incentive of up to $172.2 million over 20 years. The project, known as the Delta Gigasite or Creekstone Gigasite, is expected to create 106 high-paying jobs during that time.
Creekstone develops and owns power infrastructure for hyperscale AI data centers. Ground was broken in December for the Delta project, which the company envisions to become the world’s largest AI-optimized data center, with a capacity of 10 gigawatts.
“That [amount] seems crazy … but I will tell you, two years when this was all starting, 100 megawatts was a lot, and if you’re in the market now working with hyper-scalers, if you can’t do at least 200 megawatts, you don’t even get a conversation or a meeting,” Buford “Ray” Conley, Creekstone’s CEO, told the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity board at its most recent meeting.
“The minimum threshold for a super-cluster now is over a gigawatt. And the simple economics are driven by the fact that you need more power to drive more computers to have a smarter AI, and it’s a highly competitive business now.”
For comparison, the current largest such project by power capacity is Switch’s Citadel Campus in Nevada, designed for 650 megawatts, although South Korea is developing a 3-gigawatt data center. Creekstone has said over 300MW of initial gas-powered generation is expected online by early 2027.
“We’re focused on building the largest data center campus in the world, and Millard County is a unique place on the planet to do something like that because it has a very unique combination of assets to make this possible,” Conley said.
Among those attributes are multiple, independent sources of energy at multi-gigawatt-scale capability, including natural gas, geothermal, solar, and Intermountain Power Project electricity. It also is at the intersection of multiple Internet fiber routes.
“To have both of those things in the same place is somewhat unique,” Conley said, “and the thing that makes it even more compelling is it’s in both a community and state that is favorable for developing businesses like this.”
The company owns 1,143 acres and has the permits and local government approvals it needs for the project. It is working to secure its first tenant, which will need a gigawatt of power. “We envision this being a multi-tenant campus over time,” Conley said.
Data center projects often are targets of controversy because of their water and energy needs impacting local communities. But Conley said Creekstone’s project will get power from various sources and will not need to connect to the electrical grid. In the long term, it might be able to add to the grid, he said.
Likewise, the project will use a closed-loop cooling system so that its water consumption will be akin to “about two dairy cows a year,” he said. A natural gas combustion process will actually generate water, about 100 acre-feet of water per year, which will be released into the atmosphere.
The state incentive is contingent on the project not using public power or water services.
The project is expected to generate total wages of about $333.4 million over 20 years and new state tax revenue of about $344.4 million during that time. The incentivized jobs are projected to pay an average of $162,148.
GOEO board member Vic Hockett noted that the median household income in Millard County is about $70,000. “Looking at the jobs that this is going to bring online in Millard County, this doubles that, and the amount of secondary jobs this will spur is also exciting,” he said.
Adam Richins, planning and zoning administrator for Millard County, told the GOEO board that the company and county commission had worked to address concerns.
“There’s a lot of benefit that we see out of this project,” Richins said. “We’re a little bit nervous as always for growth. Rural Utah is always a little bit skeptical that all growth is good, but we believe that this growth is good and is a good match not only for what our resources are but what our community would benefit from. So, we’ve been very pleased to see, as this has progressed, that it’s shaping into something very wonderful for Millard County.”
Following the state incentive vote, Jesse Turley, chairman of the GOEO incentives committee, told Conley, “Here’s hoping you get to 20 gigawatts.”
Other officials had prepared statements about the project:
• “This project highlights Utah’s innovative economy and our commitment to shared growth across the state,” said Jefferson Moss, GOEO’s executive director. “Creekstone Energy will bring significant investment and high-paying jobs to Millard County, strengthening the economic foundation for rural Utah and supporting the infrastructure needs of the energy and technology sectors.”
• “EDCUtah (Economic Development Corporation of Utah) is proud to support companies that are bringing new value and long-term opportunity to rural communities,” said Ryan Starks, EDCUtah’s executive director. “Creekstone Energy is part of a generational buildout of critical infrastructure, and they are doing so with a forward-thinking approach, including no evaporative water use for cooling. Their plan includes a diverse, resilient mix of power generation that aligns well with Utah’s ‘all of the above’ energy strategy. We anticipate Creekstone will be a strong partner in supporting local economic growth and creating opportunity for many years to come.”
• “This project represents a defining moment for Millard County,” said Millard County Commissioner Trevor Johnson. “Our community has deep roots in agriculture and a long tradition of hard work, stewardship and self-reliance, and this investment builds on that foundation while expanding our increasingly diverse economy. Millard County is excited to have the Creekstone Gigasite in our county and looks forward to embracing new opportunities with quality jobs, strengthening local infrastructure, and ensuring long-term prosperity for the families and industries that call Millard County home.”
GOEO does not provide upfront cash incentives. Each year that an incentivized company meets the obligations in its contract with GOEO, it will qualify to receive a portion of the new, additional state taxes the company paid to the state.