Here’s how much water Kevin O’Leary’s partner says data center will use
A proposed data center project named Stratos in Box Elder County, Utah, is facing strong opposition due to concerns over its significant water usage and potential impact on the Great Salt Lake and surrounding ecosystems. Opponents argue that Utah cannot spare the water, while the developer, led by Kevin O'Leary's partner, claims the facility will be highly efficient and could contribute to water conservation. Experts, however, remain skeptical about the developer's claims regarding water neutrality.
A proposed massive data center project named Stratos in Box Elder County, Utah, is generating significant local opposition due to concerns about its potential water consumption and impact on the Great Salt Lake. FOX 13 investigator Nate Carlisle reports on the controversy surrounding the project, with local residents, including a woman involved with the Box Elder Area Referendum (BAR), expressing worries that the data center will deplete Utah's already scarce water resources. The Great Salt Lake is highlighted as critical for local climate regulation, drinking water sources, and as a crucial stopover for migratory birds, making its declining levels an acute environmental concern.
Kevin O'Leary's partner, Patigen, identified as the co-founder and CEO of the company behind Stratos, asserts that the facility will be highly efficient and utilize minimal water. He claims the data center will cool itself by recirculating water and achieve "to no ongoing water use," estimating its annual potable water consumption (for workers and not power generation) to be less than the amount used by a single home. However, Faraz B. Tarsay, a Virginia Tech professor specializing in data centers, expresses skepticism regarding the developer's claims of near water neutrality, citing the technological challenges involved.
The discussion delves into the distinction between groundwater and the Great Salt Lake's water sources, with Patigen suggesting they are separate. However, the Utah Geological Association estimates that 10% of the Great Salt Lake's water originates from groundwater. Val Anderson, who leads Minera, a company that has been harvesting minerals from the lake since the 1960s, explains how groundwater historically fed the lake and that current proposals for data centers are seen as a threat to this interconnected system. Anderson notes that the groundwater in the area is already essential for agriculture and cattle.
Patigen claims the company is exploring ways to