Box Elder data center could create a heat island devastating Utah’s local environment and the Great Salt Lake

A proposed hyperscale data center, known as the Stratos Project, in Box Elder County, Utah, is generating significant environmental concerns from scientists and local residents. Physics professor Robert Davies from Utah State University warns that the 9-gigawatt facility could generate an additional 7-8 gigawatts of waste heat, effectively creating a 16-gigawatt thermal load. This could raise local temperatures in Hansel Valley by 5 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and up to 28 degrees at night, potentially transforming the high-desert environment into a dust source and exacerbating the collapse of the Great Salt Lake. The project, spearheaded by developer Kevin O'Leary, is expected to draw 9 gigawatts of energy, more than double Utah's current electricity consumption, likely from a natural gas pipeline. Scientists are also concerned about the cooling methods for the hot water byproduct of potential Allum-cycle energy production, with options like 400 acres of industrial fans or aquifer cooling posing further environmental risks. Despite these extensive concerns and commissioners declining to hear public comment on environmental issues, the Box Elder County commissioners approved the project. Utah's Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), Gov. Spencer Cox, and Senate President Stuart Adams are noted as vocal supporters of the Stratos Project, while many unknowns remain regarding its exact technology and environmental mitigation strategies.