Second water rights application withdrawn for proposed Box Elder data center
A second application for water rights for the proposed Stratos Project data center in Box Elder, Utah, has been withdrawn following thousands of protests from residents. The application, submitted by Murray Hollow L.C., sought to change water use from stockwatering to industrial for a natural gas-fired plant and data center. This follows a similar withdrawal by Bar H Ranch in early May, highlighting significant public concern over water usage during a drought.
A second water rights application for the proposed Stratos Project data center in Box Elder, Utah, has been withdrawn after garnering over 3,600 formal protests. The application, submitted by Murray Hollow L.C. in late April, requested a change in water use from stockwatering and domestic to industrial, specifically for a natural gas-fired plant and a data center operating as a closed-loop system. This withdrawal follows a similar action in early May by Bar H Ranch, whose water rights application also faced over 3,000 protests.
The Stratos Project has drawn significant backlash from Utah residents, who are primarily concerned about the data center's impact on natural resources, particularly water, as the state faces a severe drought. Mogul Kevin O'Leary, a backer of the project, has dismissed water usage concerns as "misinformation." Utah Governor Cox has also addressed the issue, assuring that the developer will not reduce water flow to the Great Salt Lake.
In response to these concerns, Utah lawmakers voted on May 20 to conduct an environmental impact study on data centers, though the specific details of this study have not yet been released.