Box Elder County, Utah, data center project scale described

A proposed 40,000-acre data center project in Hansel Valley, Box Elder County, Utah, has been approved by the Box Elder County Commission, prompting local news to explain its massive scale. Max Roth highlighted that the project's acreage for a private purpose is unprecedented in Utah, making its size difficult to comprehend without comparisons. The video illustrates the data center's immense footprint by comparing it to familiar landmarks. It is significantly larger than the entire Bryce Canyon National Park, which covers 35,835 acres, making even a 600-acre data center at Point of the Mountain seem tiny in comparison. The proposed project spans approximately 110 square miles, nearly double the 62 square miles of Salt Lake City proper. Concerns were also raised regarding the environmental impact of such a large facility. The data center is projected to consume 10 gigawatts of electricity annually, a figure comparable to the entire power needs of New York City. The video also notes that the full extent of its water usage and natural gas consumption remains unknown.