Local Business
Hundreds cry out as Box Elder commissioners wave in massive data center
Alixel Cabrera | Utah News Dispatch
Amid boos and screams from hundreds of community members, Box Elder County commissioners unanimously approved two resolutions in support of a 40,000-acre data center campus proposed for an unincorporated site in the county.
About 1,100 people filled the fairgrounds’ fine arts building after rallying outside. Commissioners had moved the meeting to a larger space, but when the group became rowdy, they made their decision in a small room away from the public.
“For hell’s sake, grow up,” Box Elder County Commissioner Boyd Bingham told the public, growing irritated as a wave of roars interrupted the meeting, not for the first time.
The angry crowd’s jeers outweighed the voices of commissioners and guests, especially when they spoke about water rights and the county’s tax revenue prospects stemming from the project. Many in the audience asked to be heard, but shouts prevailed throughout the meeting.
No one was escorted out, but instead, the commissioners left the room and broadcast their quick vote on a screen available to the public.
“Cowards,” some in the audience yelled. Others repeatedly shouted, “People over profit.”
The resolutions were needed under state law to allow the Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, to move forward with the Stratos project. MIDA, an agency formed by the Utah Legislature to promote economic development with a military-related purpose, required county approval because the data center is to be built on private land without existing zoning. Approval enables MIDA to proceed with planning and development processes specific to this unique situation.
“Today’s vote is not the end of the process, it is the beginning. If this project moves forward, it will happen in phases over many years. At every step, it will be subject to continued oversight, permitting and regulatory review,” Commissioner Lee Perry told reporters after the meeting.
Unlike regular industrial developments, this project required municipal approval before a full environmental assessment—which examines all potential impacts to air, water, and wildlife—was drafted. Developers said the study will be prepared later, though the timeline remains unclear. At the meeting, commissioners said developers must first obtain an air quality permit from the appropriate agency, then undergo an engineering review, a process that typically assesses structural and safety aspects and usually takes 150 to 200 days.
The vote comes after commissioners delayed their decision by a week, citing insufficient time to review the project. That quick pace of approvals has frustrated the public, who have filled meetings and comment channels with questions about the potential impacts of such a large development in northern Utah.
The data center campus sponsored by Kevin O’Leary, a celebrity investor from “Shark Tank,” will include a natural gas plant supplying 9 gigawatts of energy to achieve self-sufficiency, more than twice the state’s annual consumption. This power will be isolated from Utah’s grid and won’t affect utility rates, say developers.
Developers are also planning to use a closed-loop system to cool their equipment, using privately owned water rights that are unsuitable for drinking or irrigation. But, without a definitive environmental study, the public remains skeptical.
James Evans, a retired geosciences professor from Logan, showed up to join the people who gathered outside the fairgrounds to rally against the project. He said he wished leaders had slowed down and thought the decision through.
Evans said, “I was struck by the cavalier way decisions and discussions happened. This is a multibillion-dollar project, including one of the world’s largest gas-fired plants.”
However, the commissioners’ decision turned out to be what Evans expected.
Evans added, “This unfair process burdens the three county commissioners. I don’t think they had enough data or time, but they faced a lot of pressure. I truly feel sorry for them.”
What’s next
Now that the county’s approval has been secured, developers will conduct a capital-raising effort, Casey Hill, a spokesperson for O’Leary Digital, said after the meeting. The entire project will be over $1 billion. Its first phase will start in the next few months, he said.
Now that the state environmental permitting process is beginning, developers have committed to holding town halls with the community at different stages.
With the resolutions, commissioners laid out guardrails for the project, including county representation on a project board, dark-sky protections, noise standards and public safety assurances.
Editor’s note: The key points for this story were written by a Utah News Dispatch journalist.
