Box Elder County Commissioners approve data-center moratorium that does not impact Stratos project
Box Elder County Commissioners unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on new data centers, prompted by issues exposed by the 'Stratos project.' This temporary halt aims to address gaps in land use code and establish more defined standards for future data center developments. The decision was met with significant public opposition, particularly regarding water usage.
Box Elder County Commissioners unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on any new data centers during a packed meeting in Brigham City. The decision, which took less than five minutes, was driven by issues highlighted by the ongoing 'Stratos project,' which exposed gaps in the county's land use code and a lack of defined standards for such developments. A community development official for the county suggested exploring an overlay zone or a data center-specific zone as potential alternatives to address these issues.
The moratorium will apply to any new data center applications presented to the county going forward, though a county attorney confirmed it would not retroactively impact the existing Stratos project. Public comment sessions following the vote revealed strong opposition from residents, who raised concerns primarily about water availability, citing issues like lack of culinary water hookups and the impact of drilling wells on current residents. Other citizens voiced broader concerns about the societal and economic effects of artificial intelligence and the potential sacrifice of community well-being for development.