Utah Governor links geothermal energy to massive Box Elder County data center project
The Box Elder County Commission in Utah approved a massive data center project, sparking public opposition over environmental concerns. Utah Governor Spencer Cox is now linking the project's energy needs to the newly formed Mountain West Geothermal Consortium, aiming to incorporate clean energy and move away from initial natural gas plans. This comes amidst significant public pushback against the project.
The Box Elder County Commission in Utah approved a data center project, approximately twice the size of Manhattan, on May 4. The approval has since faced significant public pushback due to environmental concerns. In response to the controversy, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, has made new environmental promises, including the incorporation of renewable resources into the project's energy mix, walking back initial plans for a 9-gigawatt natural gas plant for the facility.
Governor Cox and Colorado Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat, announced the formation of the Mountain West Geothermal Consortium. This new group, including state officials from Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, aims to accelerate geothermal energy development across the Mountain West region. Cox stated that accelerating geothermal projects requires significant capital and permitting reform, and he views this initiative as a solution to concerns surrounding projects like the Stratos data center, which is sponsored by investor Kevin O'Leary.
The Stratos project, planned for 40,000 acres of unincorporated Box Elder County land, was initially linked to the Ruby natural gas pipeline to power a 9-gigawatt energy plant. However, Cox clarified that only about 1 gigawatt of natural gas energy would be used in the first phase, emphasizing that a full 9-gigawatt natural gas plant would not be supported due to permitting difficulties. The consortium seeks to provide coordinated insights and resources, develop creative finance tools, and establish clear regulatory regimes to de-risk investment in geothermal energy.