Local forum discusses community questions about approved data center in Box Elder County

Community leaders recently convened a panel at the Salt Lake City Public Library to address public inquiries regarding the approved Stratos data center in Box Elder County, Utah. The discussion brought together a lawyer, an ecologist, and a director from Utah Clean Energy, aiming to shed light on the project's implications. During the forum, local residents, including Renal Williams and Ronda Anderson Lauritzen, voiced strong opposition to the data center, primarily due to concerns over water rights and the potential strain on the Great Salt Lake, which has been shrinking for years. Lauritzen, whose family has held water rights bordering the lake since the 1960s, questioned the data center's water source, stating that water in the area has been inaccessible for a decade. Both women are actively pursuing a citizen referendum and a water rights protest. Ben Abbott from Grow the Flow emphasized the critical need to reduce irrigation water use to restore the Great Salt Lake, noting that introducing a new large-scale water user like a data center complicates this goal. While acknowledging the possibility of sustainable data center operations, the overall consensus from the meeting was a significant lack of transparency and provided information regarding the Stratos data center's plans and its potential environmental impact.