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Box Elder County Backs 40,000-Acre AI Data Center as Water Fight Intensifies

Regulatory rulings on water rights now determine whether the 40,000-acre project proceeds.

Overview

  • County commissioners voted unanimously Monday to advance the Stratos proposal after a heated meeting that drew hundreds of protesters.
  • A change application tied to the site has triggered more than 2,300 formal protests, and petitioners have asked Utah’s Division of Water Rights to hold a hearing.
  • Project materials describe a campus spanning roughly 40,000 acres with up to about 9 gigawatts of on-site generation likely fueled by natural gas via the Ruby Pipeline.
  • Opponents and health groups warn the power plants and cooling systems could drain groundwater and threaten the Great Salt Lake, and they criticize the lack of detailed studies.
  • Kevin O’Leary defends the plan as sustainable and suggests many protesters are outsiders, while local reporting shows many protest filings list Utah addresses.