Box Elder County passes moratorium on future data centers
Box Elder County commissioners unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on new data centers and power plants in unincorporated areas, aiming to study future regulations. However, this pause does not impact the controversial Stratos Project, whose land-use authority was transferred to the Military Installation Development Authority. Residents continue to express strong opposition, with two lawsuits filed challenging the county's decisions.
Box Elder County commissioners have unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on new data centers and associated power plants within unincorporated areas of the county. The temporary ban, passed Wednesday, grants officials a six-month period to evaluate and establish new zoning classifications and development standards for such facilities, addressing the current lack of specific regulations.
However, the moratorium explicitly excludes the highly contentious Stratos Project, a proposed hyperscale data center campus championed by investor Kevin O’Leary. County officials previously transferred land-use authority for the 20,000-acre Stratos site to Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) for 50 years, effectively exempting it from county zoning rules. This decision has sparked fierce backlash from local residents.
Public comment during the commissioners' meeting revealed persistent community concerns regarding the Stratos Project, despite the new moratorium. Opposition groups, including the Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR), have organized and commissioned polls, which found that over 70% of county voters oppose the data center's construction due to potential impacts on air quality, water resources, and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.
In response to the county's rejection of referendums aimed at allowing a public vote on the project, BEAR has filed a lawsuit in Utah’s 1st District Court. Additionally, five anonymous residents, in conjunction with Alliance for a Better Utah, have filed a second lawsuit, accusing government officials of infringing on residents' civil rights by denying a public vote on the project.