Internal emails between City of Page officials and developers show discussions about a planned data center were going on months before it became public.
The project has triggered a backlash among some in the community.
The emails, between Page officials and the U.K.-based developer Hollybrook, were obtained by KNAU through a public records request.
They show conversations about the 1-gigawatt data center began at least as early as December 2024.
That was well before the proposal to sell 500 acres of city land for the project surfaced publicly during a late-August council meeting.
The emails also show by mid-January of last year, several Page officials had signed non-disclosure agreements with the developer.
The revelations came after Page local and researcher Hunter Kennedy first requested email communications from the city and posted them to social media.
The emails caused an outcry among locals who oppose the project.
Some residents are concerned about the data center potential energy and water use. They say the emails show city officials haven’t been open with the public.
However, Page officials say they’re committed to transparency and in a recent statement revealed the timeline of how the project progressed through last year.
“The emails released as part of the public records request reflect early discussions and estimates that are subject to change as the project advances, not information that was protected under the NDA,” read a statement from the city. “The City of Page remains committed to transparency, accuracy, and adherence to state law.”
The City Council approved the sale of land to Hollybrook in October for $7 million.
Officials say the public will have an opportunity to weigh in on the development when the property goes through a rezoning process expected later this year.
Emails
Following a public records request, KNAU received a more than 400-page document containing email communications to and from City of Page officials regarding the planned data center project.
Many of the emails contained messages from the public voicing their opposition to the plan and were addressed to council members.
But several of the emails showed city officials were in communication with the U.K.-based developer Hollybrook regarding the data center plan long before the project was made public.
Attached are 25 pages of the public records.
