His ‘Utah Way’ offered lessons for America. So did his primary defeat
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams lost his Republican primary after backlash over the proposed Stratos AI data center campus in Box Elder County. Critics cited a lack of public input and potential impacts on water, energy and the environment, while Adams defended the project and the Military Installation Development Authority’s role in approving incentives.
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams’ support for a proposed Stratos data center campus in Box Elder County became a central issue in his Republican primary defeat. Adams and Gov. Spencer Cox had met with investor Kevin O’Leary about the project, which was promoted as one of the world’s largest AI data center campuses. The Military Installation Development Authority, chaired by Adams, authorized an economic development area that included significant property-tax relief.
The project drew criticism over limited public involvement and possible effects on water supplies, energy demand and the environment. Adams later asked O’Leary to reduce the project’s size but continued to argue that the development was important for national security and AI competitiveness. State Sen. Kathleen Riebe and other critics said the streamlined approval process reflected a broader pattern of lawmakers advancing development without sufficient local accountability.