Box Elder County Commission expected to vote on controversial proposal to build massive data center

The Box Elder County Commission is set to vote on a contentious proposal for the "Stratos Project," a large-scale data center campus spanning 40,000 acres in an unincorporated area of western Box Elder County, Utah. The project, headed by developer O'Leary Digital, owned by Kevin O'Leary, has sparked significant opposition across the county and state. The vote was previously delayed after public concerns were raised regarding the data center's substantial water and electricity usage, as well as the perceived hastiness of the approval process. The Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) had already approved the project, claiming it would utilize on-site energy production via natural gas and a closed-loop water system with 3,000 acre-feet of on-site water not sourced from the Great Salt Lake. However, environmental groups like Friends of the Great Salt Lake, represented by counsel Rob Dubuc, contend that the groundwater aquifers intended for the project are crucial to the Great Salt Lake's ecosystem, emphasizing that "choices have to be made" between development and conservation. County Commissioner Boyd Bingham expressed apprehension, noting that if approved, the commission would "lose control" over the project. The meeting has been moved to the county fairgrounds in Tremonton to accommodate an expected large turnout, though no public comment session is listed on the agenda.