Overview
- A group called Box Elder Accountability Referendum filed suit in 1st District Court seeking to overturn County Attorney Stephen Hadfield’s decision that prevented them from starting signature drives.
- Hadfield ruled that two county resolutions approving steps for the project were administrative actions not subject to referendum, a finding the plaintiffs say conflicts with Utah constitutional and Supreme Court precedent.
- The disputed resolutions follow Box Elder County commissioners’ approvals that let the Stratos plan progress; developers describe the project as a phased campus on roughly 40,000 acres with up to about 9 gigawatts of on‑site power capacity.
- State officials and local critics have raised environmental and resource concerns, with the governor issuing an executive order to guide data‑center review and residents warning about water use, air quality and impacts to the Great Salt Lake.
- The lawsuit now runs alongside ongoing permitting reviews and public objections, and the court’s decision could determine whether petitioners can force a ballot question while agency permits and protests continue to shape whether Phase 1 moves forward.