Angry residents fail to stop Utah data center project

The Box Elder County Commission in Utah unanimously approved a sprawling hyperscale data center project on Monday, November 6th, despite an hour-long, contentious public meeting marked by angry residents and disruptions. The commission's vote followed an earlier approval by the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and clears the way for MIDA to establish a project area offering incentives to developers, with celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary reportedly backing the initiative. Commissioners, including Tyler Vincent, emphasized property rights in their decision, stating landowners should be free to develop their property. The project encompasses approximately 40,000 acres across four unincorporated plots in Box Elder County, predominantly privately owned land north of the Great Salt Lake, with additional parcels held by the Department of Defense and the Utah Trust Lands Administration. MIDA Executive Director Paul Morris described the project as one of the largest deals in Utah's history, projecting an initial power requirement of 3 gigawatts, nearly matching the state's average statewide electricity use, and an eventual expansion to 9 gigawatts. Significant environmental concerns, particularly regarding water usage, have prompted over 400 protests to the Utah Division of Water Rights. While MIDA claims the data center will employ a "closed loop cooling system" that reuses water and returns treated water to the drying Great Salt Lake, a new state policy, HB 60, passed this year, restricts the Division of Water Rights' ability to consider issues like air quality, wildlife, and recreation, which are typically handled by other state agencies. Public comments were not heard at the Monday meeting, as commissioners stated residents had an opportunity at a previous April 22nd meeting, leaving some attendees feeling unheard and disappointed.