Daily Digest — May 15, 2026
Utah's Stratos Data Center Draws Sustained Opposition, Referendum Effort
Hundreds of protesters rallied at the Utah State Capitol to oppose the proposed Stratos data center, a 40,000-acre, 9-gigawatt facility planned for Box Elder County. According to ABC4 Utah, representatives from conservation, faith, and environmental organizations delivered an open letter with over 6,000 signatures to Governor Spencer Cox, citing concerns about impacts to the Great Salt Lake, wetlands, air quality, and wildlife. A separate report from world.infonasional.com put rally attendance at 400–500 people and the letter's signature count at 7,500.
The project, proposed by Kevin O'Leary's venture firm O'Leary Digital and approved through Utah's Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), has prompted multiple lines of opposition:
- A group called Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR) filed two referendum applications on May 8 to challenge the Box Elder County Commission's approval, as reported by ABC4 Utah.
- Local residents are pursuing a separate water rights protest, according to KSL News Utah.
- Speakers at the Capitol called for MIDA's dissolution and mandatory third-party environmental reviews for new data centers.
Water scarcity is a central concern. A panel discussion at the Salt Lake City Public Library, covered by KSL News Utah and KSL TV 5, featured local resident Rhonda Anderson Lauritzen, whose family holds water rights bordering the project site. She stated that area aquifers are already depleted and her family has been unable to access water for a decade. Ben Abbott from Grow the Flow argued that a 40% reduction in water usage is necessary to restore the Great Salt Lake, and any new consumption would hinder that goal.
MIDA spokeswoman Kristin Kenney Williams defended the authority's transparency and integrity, as reported by world.infonasional.com. O'Leary Digital Co-founder and CEO Paul Palandjian dismissed the demonstrations as "not organic protests" that ignored project facts. Brian Moench of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment warned that the Box Elder project is one of 21 AI data centers in various stages of approval in the state. Another protest is scheduled for May 23, per ABC4 Utah.
Box Elder County residents demand MIDA dissolution, oppose Stratos data center
ABC4 Utah
Protesters Oppose Box Elder County Data Center at Utah Capitol
world.infonasional.com
Box Elder County Data Center Faces Opposition Over Water Concerns
KSL News Utah
Local forum discusses approved Box Elder Data Center in Utah
KSL TV 5
Box Elder County residents protest data center approval
ABC4 Utah
Cleveland Rejects Permit for $1.6B Slavic Village Data Center; Moratorium Under Consideration
The City of Cleveland has rejected a permit application from Lakeland Equity Group for a proposed $1.6 billion hyperscale data center campus in the Slavic Village neighborhood. The 150-megawatt facility was planned for a 35-acre site between East 49th and East 55th Streets, according to multiple local outlets including Signal Cleveland, NEOtrans, and WOSU Public Media.
Key details of the rejection and broader regulatory response:
- The permit failed during zoning administration review. NEOtrans reported the rejection was due to an incomplete submission lacking site plans, which surprised the development team.
- Mayor Justin Bibb expressed "serious concerns" about hyperscale data centers in residential areas, citing environmental impact and rising utility costs, as reported by Signal Cleveland.
- The facility would have consumed power equivalent to approximately 100,000 homes, according to Cleveland 19 News and WOSU.
Separately, Ward 15 Councilman Charles Slife introduced legislation proposing a one-year moratorium on new data center developments, as reported by Cleveland Scene. The emergency ordinance, introduced in late April, is undergoing administrative review and could be voted on before the council's summer recess, per NEOtrans. Lakeland Equity Group is evaluating next steps, including potential legal action. Cleveland 19 News also noted discussion of a potential ballot amendment to ban large-scale data centers in Ohio on the November ballot.
Cleveland data center application rejected, developer weighs options amid proposed moratorium
NEOtrans
Cleveland rejects Slavic Village data center permit
Signal Cleveland
Cleveland rejects permit for hyperscale data center in Slavic Village
WOSU Public Media
City rejects permit application for proposed data center in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood
Cleveland 19 News
Cleveland Rejects Permit for Data Center in Slavic Village
Cleveland Scene
Reno Becomes First Nevada City to Enact Data Center Moratorium
The Reno City Council voted 6-1 to adopt a temporary moratorium on new data center conditional use permit applications, making Reno the first city in Nevada to take such action. The pending moratorium halts new applications for up to 30 days, with a follow-up vote on a final moratorium scheduled for June 1, according to reports from The Nevada Independent, mynews4.com, KTVN, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and KOLO.
The decision followed a seven-hour meeting with extensive public comment, as described by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Councilwoman Kathleen Taylor cast the lone dissenting vote, arguing the regulatory work could proceed without a moratorium. The council is simultaneously pursuing a fast-track text amendment initiated April 22 to establish location, sound, energy, and water requirements for data centers.
Notable regulatory and political dynamics:
- The moratorium does not affect five existing data centers or four projects already in the permitting pipeline, per KOLO.
- The Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter proposed requirements including data center companies bearing all infrastructure costs, paying environmental impact fees, and contributing to a "community resilience fund," according to The Nevada Independent.
- NV Energy faces unprecedented power requests from tech companies that could triple its current peak load, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- Tray Abney of the Nevada Data Center Alliance warned the moratorium could send a "wrong message" for business development, as noted by mynews4.com.
- Council divisions persist over whether to pursue a unified regional approach with Sparks and Washoe County or proceed independently with city-level regulations, per The Nevada Independent.
Reno City Council Approves Temporary Data Center Moratorium
The Nevada Independent
Reno City Council adopts pending moratorium on new data centers
mynews4.com
Reno City Council adopts 30-day moratorium on new data centers
KTVN
This Nevada city is the first to pause new data centers
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Reno City Council approves a pending moratorium on data centers
KOLO | 8 News Now
Fort Meade, Florida, Data Center Approved Despite Legal Challenge
Fort Meade City Commissioners in Polk County, Florida, unanimously approved a proposed $2.6 billion data center project, according to Florida Politics. Mayor Jaret Landon Williams emphasized the project's potential for job creation and city revenue.
The developer has committed to implementing a closed-loop cooling system to reduce water usage. However, the project faces a legal campaign led by Earthjustice and Food and Water Watch. Those groups have also advocated for the "AI Data Center Moratorium Act" introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which would seek a nationwide ban on new data center facilities. Congressman Byron Donalds has voiced support for such developments provided they do not strain the power grid or raise consumer utility prices.
Milwaukee Data Center Proposal at Former Walmart Heads to Plan Commission
A proposal by AFS Milwaukee LLC to establish a 19,000-square-foot data processing facility at a former Walmart building in Milwaukee's Midtown Center is scheduled for a Milwaukee Plan Commission hearing on May 18, according to Milwaukee Business News and FOX6 News Milwaukee.
The facility would be part of a broader redevelopment of the 108,000-square-foot building that also includes affordable housing and a library branch. The proposed data center and self-storage uses are not currently permitted under existing zoning, requiring Plan Commission review, as reported by FOX6 News.
Local residents have raised concerns about potential air, water, and noise impacts, as well as energy consumption. Some community members have advocated for alternative uses such as a medical complex or green space, per Milwaukee Business News. A separate letter to the editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called for greater transparency regarding data center costs.
Milwaukee residents oppose data center planned at former Walmart store
Milwaukee Business News
Data center proposed at abandoned Walmart in Milwaukee
FOX6 News Milwaukee
Abandoned Walmart in Milwaukee eyed for potential data center
FOX6 News Milwaukee
Proposed data center at the site of an empty Milwaukee Walmart
FOX6 News Milwaukee
Milwaukee residents question data center costs, urge transparency
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel