Good news for business is good news for residents.

The NOVVA Data Center, just west of the Mountain View Corridor, is getting a massive upgrade, worth $2 billion.

An upgrade on a business means more tax value. More tax value means more revenue. More business revenue means a better balance of tax burden between residents and businesses.

Data centers are massive facilities – this campus alone will house 1 million square feet, but can be run by under 200 employees. West Jordan’s Economic Development Director David Dobbins explained, “Data centers have high property values so they generate significant property tax revenue but have low demand for city services. Data centers generate very few calls for services like police and fire so more data centers don’t require more police officers and firefighters.”

Internet access and cloud storage may seem “up in the air”, but in fact, everything we do online needs to be supported by a physical computing location. That’s where data centers come in.

When data centers were first needed in the 1940s, each business that used a computer needed to house its own data. As software began to access hardware that could be at a different location, needs changed. Large centers were able to manage many business affairs at once. As we increasingly rely on internet connectivity and programming, expansion of data centers is crucial.

One concerning side-effect of computing is heat. The flow of electricity through the computer parts can create excessive heat, which is why many home computers require a fan – if you don’t keep the machine cool, the parts will overheat and shut down. With so many computers in one space, data centers rely on intricate cooling systems. In the past, data centers relied on water to cool down the entire system. Improvements have been made, and NOVVA employs a “direct-to-chip” cooling that requires more electricity than water, and focuses on cooling the heat-generating components rather than the entire system.

“I am excited about NOVVA’s expansion in West Jordan,” Mayor Dirk Burton said. “They are good neighbors, and I am thrilled they like West Jordan enough to invest more in our community. NOVVA has users worldwide who help contribute to West Jordan’s economy.”