Stratos Data Center in Box Elder County, Utah, Faces Water Usage Concerns

The planned Stratos data center in Box Elder County, Utah, led by investor Kevin O'Leary and his company O'Leary Digital, is drawing significant opposition primarily over its proposed water consumption. Local resident Brenna Williams, representing the opposition group Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR), highlights fears that the project will harm the Great Salt Lake and surrounding pristine lands, which are already experiencing severe drought and declining water levels.

Paul Palandjian, co-founder and CEO of O'Leary Digital, counters these concerns, stating the modern data center will not be a net negative to the Great Salt Lake and will use efficient recirculating water cooling. While Palandjian could not provide an exact figure, he estimated the data center would use approximately 1,800 acre-feet of potable water annually at full scale, which he argues is less than some data centers and aims to keep water within Utah by potentially not using current agricultural water shares. However, Feras Batarseh, a Virginia Tech professor studying data centers and water, expresses skepticism about the promised water savings and emphasizes the interconnectedness of groundwater and surface water, including the Great Salt Lake. Opposition efforts remain ongoing, with Williams stating she wrote to Box Elder County commissioners outlining 15 reasons against the project, primarily focusing on water.