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Data centers in Idaho: 5 projects mapped
Meta switched on its $1.2 billion, 750,000-square-foot data center in Kuna, in southern Ada County, in September 2026, its first in Idaho. Two much larger projects are lined up nearby. Diode Ventures' Gemstone Technology Park, on 620 acres at Locust Grove and Barker roads in Kuna, could use as much as 800 megawatts of power when complete. Rhea Data, a subsidiary of Las Vegas-based Arevia, has applied to build a 4-million-square-foot campus with its own natural gas power plant on about 3,750 acres of federal land near Blacks Creek Reservoir, east of Meta.
The Bureau of Land Management hopes to open public comment on the Blacks Creek proposal by the end of 2026, before an environmental review. The reservoir is a bird reserve with more than 150 species, according to the Golden Eagle Audubon Society. "I honestly don't know how we would be able to keep up with that in terms of energy demand, water demand, in the region, which is already so tight," said Lisa Young of the Sierra Club's Idaho Chapter. Diode says Gemstone will pay all costs solely tied to connecting it to Idaho Power's system.
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Pocatello said no. A hearing examiner denied Lex Developments' permit for an AI data center at the former Hoku polysilicon plant on May 19, and the City Council upheld the denial 4-1 on July 16. Developer Gus Schultz asked for reconsideration on July 29, giving the council 60 days to rule in writing; no decision has been published, and Schultz has promised to sue "absolutely, 100 percent." Bannock County, around the city, has a 180-day moratorium on data center permits in unincorporated areas that runs until January 26, 2027, while it writes rules.
A new state law, House Bill 895, bars new data centers from using water for cooling as a consumptive use unless the water comes from a municipal or similar public system.
4 counties with tracked projects
Only places with at least one project have a page.
Where this comes from
The reporting above was written from these. Open one and check it yourself.
Where people here have won
Projects stopped by a vote, pulled by their developer, or blocked in court.
| Place | What happened | Date | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PocatelloLex Developments LLC | Denied by a vote Hearing examiner denied the permit in May, and City Council upheld the denial 4-1 on July 16. | Jul 16, 2026 | 49 acres |
Moratoriums and bans in effect
Places in Idaho that have paused or banned new data centers.
| Place | Type | Started | Ends | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bannock County | Moratorium | Jul 30, 2026 | Jan 26, 2027 | Record off site ↗ |
Every project above is drawn from public records, filings and local reporting. Each row links to what it is based on. Statuses change, so check the source date before you rely on one. Found something wrong? Write to [email protected] and it gets fixed.