Box Elder says no to data centers for now — except for Kevin O'Leary's
Box Elder County in Utah has enacted a 180-day moratorium on new data center development and power plants in unincorporated areas, in response to fierce opposition to the proposed Stratos Project. This pause allows county officials to study appropriate regulations for data centers and their infrastructure. However, the moratorium does not affect Kevin O'Leary's Stratos Project, which has already seen its proposed acreage cut in half due to public outcry.
Box Elder County, Utah, has implemented a 180-day moratorium on new data center development and associated power plants in its unincorporated areas. This decision, unanimously passed by the county's three commissioners, aims to give officials time to study and develop regulations and zoning standards for data centers.
The moratorium was prompted by fierce opposition to the Stratos Project, a proposed hyperscale data center campus near the Great Salt Lake, backed by celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary. However, County Attorney Stephen Hadfield clarified that the pause does not apply to applications filed before the ordinance, thus exempting O'Leary's project.
The Stratos Project, initially envisioned as the world's largest data center, has already been significantly reduced in size from 20,000 acres to 10,000 acres following strong public outcry and a letter from Senate President Stuart J. Adams, who had previously supported the development. Public commenters at the commission meeting voiced both support for property rights and accusations against Governor Cox and the MIDA board.