Utah County Approves 40,000-Acre Data Center Near Great Salt Lake

Box Elder County commissioners approved a data center project in April that would occupy 40,000 acres in rural Utah. The facility, called the Stratos Project, would require 9 gigawatts of power once completed. The project is backed by Kevin O'Leary and West GenCo. It would neighbor the northern tip of the Great Salt Lake, which is expected to reach a record-low elevation this year.

D.C. He calculated that the project would release roughly 16 gigawatts of thermal energy into the local environment. Davies said the heat output equals about 23 atom bombs worth of energy dumped into the valley every day. He warned this continuous heat load could alter the high-desert climate.

Developers stated they have secured roughly 3,000 acre-feet of on-site water rights and 10,000 acre-feet under contract from Snowville. Utah's Division of Water Rights has received one application to transfer 1,900 acre-feet previously used for irrigation.

More than 1,000 residents attended a county meeting to express concerns. Governor Spencer Cox later wrote that questions about water, air quality, energy, and land use require clear standards. Austin Pritchett of West GenCo said the project would not drain the Great Salt Lake.

The county approved the project after state agencies had already cleared it.