Utah Data Center Fight Erupts as Residents Clash Over 40,000-Acre AI Project

A massive 40,000-acre AI data center project in Box Elder County, Utah, has become a significant point of contention, pitting residents against officials and developers. The proposed site, which would be larger than the city of Pittsburgh, has generated intense backlash from locals concerned about its vast energy and water requirements, as well as its overall environmental impact on the largely rural area. Investor Kevin O'Leary is leading the project, which is also backed by Utah officials, including Governor Spencer Cox, who aims to position Utah as a data center hub. Despite the public outcry and skepticism from many Americans regarding data center developments in their communities, the Box Elder County Commission unanimously approved the project. Officials maintain that the site, primarily on privately owned unused land away from existing homes, will cause minimal disturbance and that property owners have signed off on it. Key concerns raised by residents include the project's projected power consumption, which could grow from an initial 3 gigawatts (equivalent to Utah's current statewide use) to 9 gigawatts, more than double the state's power usage. This would involve tapping into the Ruby natural gas pipeline and relying on dedicated power plants, potentially causing temporary increases in local gas prices. Water usage for cooling and power generation is also substantial, though developers claim a closed-loop design and the use of salty, otherwise unusable water from the site will mitigate concerns. The approved project is expected to generate hundreds of millions in annual revenue and create 2,000 full-time jobs for the county and state.