Gov. Cox admits comments over proposed data center 'did not meet expectations'

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has publicly acknowledged "real concerns" regarding the proposed 40,000-acre Stratos data center project in Box Elder County, following widespread controversy and public outcry. In a series of social media posts, Governor Cox admitted his previous statements on the matter "did not meet expectations" and promised greater accountability from his office and developers. The Governor outlined several protective measures, including capping the data center's initial power output at 1.5 gigawatts, with any future expansion to a potential 9 gigawatts pushed back 10-15 years. He further stated that all future data center approvals would depend on developers meeting rigorous standards. Specific directives include ordering the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to thoroughly review all air permits to ensure minimal environmental impact and requesting the Department of Natural Resources to verify that the facility's cooling technology is environmentally sensitive and poses no threat to the Great Salt Lake. Additionally, Governor Cox mandated public reporting of all water usage and explicitly prohibited any reduction of water flow to the Great Salt Lake by the developer. He emphasized ongoing monitoring to ensure adherence to state and federal environmental requirements before any subsequent phases are approved.