AI 算力與生態之爭：為何猶他州村民集體抗議《鯊魚坦克》投資人支持的千億級 AI 數據中心？
Why Utah Residents are Protesting a Massive AI Data Center Project Backed by Kevin O’Leary
一群猶他州農村居民希望能在 11 月的公投中投下反對票，以抵制一項規模龐大的 AI 數據中心開發案——這是美國各地民眾因擔憂環境與社區遭到破壞而反對新建數據中心項目的最新例證。
A group of rural Utah residents wants a chance to vote in November to oppose a massive AI data center development — the latest example of Americans resisting new data center projects over fears they’ll disrupt the environment and their communities.
儘管面臨社區成員的強烈抗議，猶他州博克斯埃爾德郡（Box Elder County）委員仍於週一批准了該項目。開發商希望能在秋季開始進行該場地的早期開挖與建設工作。
The Utah project was approved by Box Elder County commissioners on Monday, despite protests from community members. Developers hope to begin early work on the site in the fall.
包括《鯊魚坦克》（Shark Tank）明星投資人凱文·奧利里（Kevin O’Leary）在內的項目支持者表示，該項目將能振興當地經濟，且提高美國的計算與能源生產能力對國家安全至關重要。然而，居民們正呼籲爭取更多時間與資訊，以評估該項目對本就脆弱的當地生態系統所造成的衝擊。
Backers of the data center, including Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, say that the project will boost the local economy and that increasing America’s computing and energy production capacity is crucial for national security. But residents are calling for more time and more information to evaluate its impact on the already fragile local ecosystem.
在某些方面，這場衝突可謂是更廣泛 AI 爭議的縮影。當富裕的建設者對這項技術的潛在利益做出高調承諾時，許多普通個體卻在擔心競相建構這項可能會改變世界的技術會帶來怎樣的後果，尤其是他們對此既不想擁有，也幾乎沒有發言權。
The conflict is, in some ways, a microcosm of the larger AI debate. While wealthy builders make lofty promises about the technology’s benefits, many individuals worry about the consequences of the race to build a world-changing technology they may not want and have little say in.
「我熱愛科技帶給我們的便利，但科技巨頭已經向我們表明，他們是不受問責約束的，」鄰近的猶他州帕克城（Park City）居民兼環境倡議者卡羅琳·格萊希（Caroline Gleich）表示。「在缺乏監管、問責制和透明度的情況下，考慮到如此龐大的土地、能源需求以及對我們社區的影響，真的很令人擔憂，也很難讓人去支持這件事。」
“I love what technology can give us, but Big Tech has shown us that they are not accountable,” said Caroline Gleich, an environmental advocate and resident of nearby Park City, Utah. “It’s very concerning and difficult to be a proponent of this, with the amount of land, energy and the impacts to our communities, without guardrails, accountability and transparency.”
🗳️ 點燃怒火的「斯特拉托斯計劃」與公投抗爭
The Stratos Project and the Ballot Box Battle
博克斯埃爾德郡郡書記官瑪拉·楊（Marla Young）向 CNN 證實，本週一群博克斯埃爾德選民已申請將一項公投加入 11 月的選票中，以推翻郡委員會對該項目的批准。這項最先由《鹽湖城論壇報》（Salt Lake Tribune）報導的申請案目前正在接受法律審查，需要超過 5,000 個簽名才能成功列入公投公報。
A group of Box Elder voters this week applied to add a referendum to the local ballot in November to overturn the county commission’s approval of the project, County Clerk Marla Young confirmed to CNN. The application, earlier reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, is now undergoing legal review and would need more than 5,000 signatures for the referendum to appear on the ballot.
類似的抗議活動正在全美各地上演，部分社區甚至試圖立法禁止新建數據中心。開發商目前正爭先恐後地試圖解決這些公眾疑慮，因為他們擔心研發進度的放緩可能會削弱美國在 AI 領域的國際競爭力。
Similar protests are occurring around the country, with some communities seeking to ban data centers. Developers are now scrambling to address those public concerns, fearing that a slowdown in progress could dent America’s competitiveness in AI.
「我們正在創造的這項技術潛力，對於國防和經濟都太重要了，」奧利里在週五接受 CNN 採訪時表示。「對每個人來說，這都應該是一項使命。我們絕對不能讓中國擊敗我們。」
“The potential of what we’re creating is so important for defense, for the economy,” O’Leary told CNN on Friday. “It should be, for everybody, a mission. We can’t let the Chinese beat us.”
🏗️ 龐大的開發規模：4 萬英畝的科技園區
The Stratos Project: A Massive 40,000-Acre Footprint
🔌 9 吉瓦（GW）超級電力與自主燃氣發電廠
Stratos Project Specs雖然這項被稱為「斯特拉托斯計劃（Stratos Project）」的開發案預計將在未來幾年內分階段進行，但其終極規劃是建造一座發電容量高達 9 吉瓦（Gigawatt, GW）的超級 AI 數據中心，以及一座專門為其供電的天然氣發電廠，並在該場地上興建其他潛在配套設施。
While development of the “Stratos Project” is expected to take place in phases over several years, the plan is to construct a 9-gigawatt AI data center and a natural gas plant to power it, as well as other potential facilities on the site.
這些設施將建在一個佔地 4 萬英畝的園區內，該場地位於猶他州西北部未建制土地上，原本以牧場、農田和如畫的開闊風光為主。這裡緊鄰已經在持續萎縮的大鹽湖（Great Salt Lake）北側，也是眾多候鳥的避難所。該郡的總人口僅有 6 萬 5 千多人。
The facilities will be built on a planned 40,000-acre campus on unincorporated land in northwest Utah dominated by ranching, farming and picturesque open space. Sitting just north of the already shrinking Great Salt Lake, the area is also a sanctuary for migratory birds. The county’s population is just over 65,000.
奧利里指出，興建一座專門的發電廠來為數據中心供電，是為了確保該項目不會對地方電網造成負擔，避免像其他設有 AI 數據中心的地區那樣導致居民電費飆升。
Building a plant to power the data center is intended to ensure the project won’t strain the local grid and hike electricity costs for nearby residents, as has happened in other areas with AI data centers, O’Leary said.
他補充道，該設施將致力於為代表國防利益的客戶提供服務，例如美國政府或科技公司的承包商。奧利里表示，該項目預計將在建設階段提供約 10,000 個工作機會，並創造 2,000 個永久就業崗位，同時為州政府和郡政府帶來豐厚的稅收。
He added that the facility would look to serve clients doing work on behalf of national defense, like the US government or tech firm contractors. The project is expected to support around 10,000 jobs in the construction phase and 2,000 permanent positions and provide tax revenue to the state and county, O’Leary said.
奧利里透露，已經投資了約 2,000 萬美元的開發商將在未來幾週內尋求潛在數據中心租戶的意向書。隨後，他們將為該項目爭取額外的融資，該項目的最終總造價可能高達 1,000 億美元以上。該團隊希望能在兩年內讓第一吉瓦（GW）的數據中心運能投入運行。
Developers, who have already invested around $20 million, will seek letters of intent from potential data center tenants in the coming weeks. They’ll then pursue additional investment for the project, which could ultimately cost more than $100 billion, O’Leary said. The group hopes to have the first gigawatt of data center capacity operational within two years.
⚠️ 水電與毒塵威脅：猶他州居民的環境之憂
Water, Energy and the Threat of Toxic Dust
對猶他州居民而言，承諾的經濟效益只是考量的一部分。
For Utahns, the promised economic benefit is just one part of the calculus.
「問題在於：這些工作機會是否值得我們付出如此高昂的代價？」猶他州立大學物理學教授兼環境變遷專家羅伯特·戴維斯（Robert Davies）質疑。「人們必須思考，『我希望我的子孫在 30 年、50 年後生活在怎樣的社區中？』因為這個項目如果按描述興建並運行 30 年，將會徹底重塑這片山谷的面貌。」
“The question is: Will the jobs be worth the cost?” said Robert Davies, a Utah State University physics professor and expert in environmental change. “One needs to think about, ‘What kind of community do I want my children and grandchildren in 30 years from now, 50 years from now?’ Because this thing, as described and running it for 30 years, will utterly transform this valley.”
格萊希也指出，當科技領袖頻繁警告 AI 技術將會取代人類工作時，承諾提供工作機會的做法本身就讓人充滿疑慮。
Gleich also noted that the promise of jobs raises questions when tech leaders frequently warn that AI technology will displace human workers.
部分居民擔心，一座發電量達 9 吉瓦的數據中心（這已是整個猶他州全年用電量的兩倍以上）及其配套發電廠所產生的熱量與溫室氣體排放，可能會加劇當地的氣候變遷衝擊。他們更擔心，冷卻這些設施所需的大量水源可能會進一步榨乾大鹽湖，導致湖床裸露釋放出含有重金屬的有毒粉塵，危害周邊地區居民的健康，包括格萊希所在的帕克城。
Some residents are concerned that the heat and emissions created by a 9-gigawatt data center — more than double the energy the entire state of Utah uses in a year — and a power plant could exacerbate the impacts of climate change in the area. And they worry that the water needed to cool the facilities could further drain the Great Salt Lake, leading to toxic dust that harms the health of people in the surrounding areas, including Gleich’s Park City.
「我們一遍又一遍地聽到，因為大鹽湖乾涸的危機，我們必須向上天祈求降雨，」居住在鹽湖城、在博克斯埃爾德郡有家人的莎拉·因斯基普-楊（Sarah Inskeep-Young）說。「而現在這個龐然大物卻要來了。這對整個猶他州意味著什麼？」
“We keep hearing over and over again that we need to pray for rain,” because of the destruction of the Great Salt Lake, said Sarah Inskeep-Young, who lives in Salt Lake City and has family in Box Elder County. “And now this is coming. What does that mean to the whole state?”
項目的開發商則承諾，他們將投資新技術以降低設施的用水量並提升能源效率，且將嚴格遵守聯邦與州政府的環境法規。
Developers of the project say they will invest in new technologies to reduce the facility’s water usage and make it more power efficient, and that it will comply with federal and state environmental regulations.
奧利里將對大鹽湖乾涸的擔憂斥為「荒謬」，並宣稱「作為一名環境研究專業的畢業生，我很清楚他們腦子裡在想什麼，他們又在擔心些什麼。」
O’Leary called worries about draining the lake “ridiculous” and said that as “a graduate of environmental studies, I know what’s on their mind, what they’re concerned about.”
但社區成員依然希望看到獨立機構進行評估。
But community members want to see independent studies.
「讓我們進行一項環境影響評估研究，並公開透明地發表它，」格萊希說。「讓我們把白紙黑字的書面承諾拿出來，給社區和相關專家留出足夠的時間進行審查。」
“Let’s do an environmental impact study and let’s publish it transparently,” Gleich said. “Let’s get some things in writing, and let’s give the community some time to review them and give experts some time to review them.”
📢 離席表決與「溪流高於串流」的現場怒吼
"Streams Over Streaming" and the Closed-Door Vote
博克斯埃爾德郡委員會在週一的公開會議上一致投票推進該項目。委員會表示，在做出這項決定之前，他們已審查了超過 2,500 條公眾意見。
The Box Elder County Commission unanimously voted to advance the project at a public meeting on Monday. The commission says it reviewed more than 2,500 public comments ahead of the decision.
然而，一些居民表示，他們感到整個決策過程被刻意簡化且倉促行事，在會議召開前，他們幾乎沒有時間去認真評估這個龐大的項目。數百名群眾湧入博克斯埃爾德郡展覽場參加週一的會議——一些人是來抗議的，另一些人則希望能獲得更多細節。現場的標語寫著：「不要出賣我們（Don’t sell us out）」和「溪流高於串流（Streams over streaming）」。
But some residents say they feel the process was rushed and that they had little time to evaluate the project ahead of the meeting. Hundreds filed into Box Elder County fairgrounds to attend the Monday meeting — some to protest, some hoping for more details. Signs read: “Don’t sell us out” and “Streams over streaming.”
出席會議的戴維斯教授指出，當時「壓倒性的民意是：我們沒有足夠的資訊」。（奧利里事後聲稱是有受薪抗議者被用巴士運送至現場抗議，但戴維斯及其他社區成員對此說法予以強烈駁斥。）
Davies, who was in attendance, said the “overwhelming sentiment was: we don’t have enough information.” (O’Leary claimed that paid protestors were bussed in for the event, something Davies and other community members have strongly disputed.)
「現場確實充斥著大量的喊叫甚至粗口，」戴維斯說。「但你知道嗎？這完全可以理解。這對這些社區……以及我們猶他州人視為與生俱來之珍寶的自然景觀，具有產生毀滅性衝擊的潛在威脅。」
“There was certainly plenty of shouting and even some profanity,” Davies said. “But you know what? One can understand it. This has the potential for massive impact to these communities and to … what we Utahns consider our birthright treasure, which is our landscapes.”
會議現場甚至一度混亂到郡委員拍桌要求台下群眾「成熟一點（grow up）」，委員們隨後集體退席、躲進一間私人密室，台下觀眾最終只能看著投影幕上的直播畫面，見證這項決策在密室中獲得批准通過。
The meeting got so rowdy that one commissioner told the audience to “grow up,” and commissioners then retreated to a private room. Audience members watched as the approval was given via livestream to a screen in front of the room.
在解釋這一決定時，博克斯埃爾德郡委員李·佩里（Lee Perry）將責任推給了個人權利：「我們今天的投票並非對數據中心本身投下贊成或反對票——我們的投票本質上是在維護個人財產權利。」
Explaining the decision, Box Elder County Commissioner Lee Perry passed the buck: “Our vote today is not a vote or against the data center — our vote is about personal property rights.”