Stratos backlash leaves Gov. Cox, lawmakers open to more data center oversight

Utah Governor Spencer Cox and state lawmakers are signaling a push for tougher regulations and reforms in the data center approval process, particularly in response to the public backlash against the Stratos Project in Box Elder County. Speaking at an August 20 news conference, Governor Cox stated that efforts to change the approval process and increase regulation are expected in the upcoming January legislative session. He specifically called for "major reform" of the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), an independent agency that approved the Stratos Project in April, which has the power to bypass local land use rules. Cox emphasized the need for elected officials to have more input on projects approved by such entities, acknowledging that the public holds them accountable for these decisions.

The growing public concern largely centers on the environmental impact of data centers, including their water usage, air quality, and effects on the Great Salt Lake, especially after a record-dry winter. Allison Barton, a Murray resident, voiced the public's desire for independent studies on these environmental impacts, especially regarding water, separate from developer analyses. While the Legislature already passed a law this year requiring water use disclosures for large-scale data centers, Governor Cox is open to expanding this legislation to include more water-efficient closed-loop systems and even mandating their use for all future proposals.

Utah Office of Energy Development Deputy Director Jake Garfield echoed this sentiment, stressing the necessity of adopting new, water-saving technologies quickly due to Utah's constrained water resources and airshed. These proposed regulations, which would introduce "no special carve-outs" for developers, could be enacted during the 2027 legislative session, beginning January 20.