Opinion: Stratos Project Data Center Raises Environmental Concerns in Box Elder County, Utah
The proposed Stratos Project, a massive data center and energy campus in Box Elder County, Utah, is raising significant environmental concerns due to its immense electricity demand, reliance on natural gas, and projected thermal and water impacts on the region, including the Great Salt Lake. The project utilized a state-authorized framework (MIDA) to bypass traditional local zoning, prompting a citizen referendum and calls for rigorous enforcement of new state laws regarding water use disclosure. Karen Crompton from the Utah Citizens' Counsel penned an opinion piece highlighting these issues.
Karen Crompton, a member of the Utah Citizens' Counsel and former Salt Lake County Director of Human Services, expressed deep concern over the proposed Stratos Project in Box Elder County, Utah, in an opinion piece for Deseret News. The project, envisioned as a 40,000-acre data center and energy campus, is larger than Bryce Canyon National Park and demands a staggering 9 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, more than double Utah's continuous statewide demand. Developers plan to meet this demand by burning natural gas on-site.
Crompton highlighted that the project bypassed traditional county zoning by utilizing the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), a state-authorized framework that strips away local control. Box Elder County Commissioners approved the plan on May 4, 2026, stating they did so to secure a "seat at the table" due to the land being unzoned. With standard zoning circumvented, the focus of the regulatory battle has shifted to water, particularly in light of a new state law, HB 60, which has narrowed the State Engineer’s water-rights review, limiting "public welfare" arguments.
Beyond electricity and water, Utah State University Professor Robert Davies' calculations suggest the project's servers and on-site gas generators would unleash 16 GW of thermal energy, potentially increasing local nighttime temperatures by 8°F to 28°F. This thermal output could accelerate the evaporation of the Great Salt Lake’s northern arm and harm local agriculture. To counter these impacts, the community is leveraging another state law, HB 76, which mandates water-use disclosure for large data centers and allows the county to impose civil penalties for non-compliance. Additionally, a local citizen referendum is being pursued under the Utah Constitution to force a public vote on the commission’s inter-local agreement, despite facing potential legal challenges.