Utah governor sets higher bar for data center projects following protests

Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed an executive order on Friday establishing a higher bar for data center development in the state. The order is effective immediately. It follows months of community outrage over the Stratos Project, a 40,000-acre hyperscale data centre campus backed by Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary that could reach 9 gigawatts of power at full buildout. The framework contains eight principles addressing water resources, air quality, wildlife protection, utility rate impacts, and public comment requirements. Utahns deserve confidence that water resources, air quality, utility rates, wildlife, and quality of life will be protected, Cox wrote on X. The executive order directs state agencies to adopt the framework. It also requires the Stratos developers to use a phased approach, applying for new permits at every planned expansion. Box Elder County commissioners approved the Stratos Project despite significant community opposition. Residents crowded council meetings, circulated petitions, and recently protested outside the Utah State Capitol. More than 2,000 questions and concerns were submitted. Supporters say the data centre will create jobs and drive economic growth. Opponents are concerned about water consumption, noise, air quality, traffic, and the impact on the Great Salt Lake, which is already facing an ecological crisis from decades of water diversion.