Hundreds cry out as Box Elder commissioners wave in massive data center

Amid boos and screams from hundreds of community members, Box Elder County commissioners unanimously approved two resolutions in support of a 40,000-acre data center campus proposed for an unincorporated site in the county. 

About 1,100 people filled the Box Elder County Fairgrounds’ fine arts building after gathering for a rally outside. While commissioners had prepared for the crowd, moving to the larger space rather than their regular chambers, they ended up making their decision in a small room away from the public as the public became rowdy.

“For hell’s sake, grow up,” Box Elder County Commissioner Boyd Bingham told the public, growing irritated as a wave of roars interrupted the meeting, not for the first time. 

The angry crowd’s jeers outweighed the voices of commissioners and guests, especially when they spoke about water rights and the county’s tax revenue prospects stemming from the project. Many in the audience asked to allow presenters to be heard, but shouts prevailed throughout the meeting.

No one was escorted out, but instead commissioners left the room and broadcast their quick vote on a screen available to the public. 

Massive Box Elder County data center could increase Utah’s carbon emissions by 50%

“Cowards,” some in the audience yelled. Others repeatedly shouted “people over profit.”

The resolutions were required by state law to allow the Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, to move forward with the Stratos Project. MIDA, an entity created by the Utah Legislature to advance economic development with a military focus, needed local consent since the data center would be located on private land without zoning regulations. 

“Today’s vote is not the end of the process, it is the beginning. If this project moves forward, it will happen in phases over many years. At every step, it will be subject to continued oversight, permitting and regulatory review,” Commissioner Lee Perry told reporters after the meeting. 

Unlike regular industrial developments, the project was subject to municipal approval before a full environmental assessment is drafted. That study, developers said, will come at a later date, but they are still uncertain as to when. However, during the meeting commissioners said developers will be required to get an air quality permit and then an engineering review, which typically takes 150 to 200 days.

The vote comes after commissioners delayed their decision for one more week, saying they’d had insufficient time to review the project. The quick nature of the approvals has become a source of frustration among the public, who have filled public meetings and public comment channels with questions about the potential impacts of such a large development in northern Utah.

The data center campus sponsored by Kevin O’Leary, a celebrity investor featured in the reality TV hit “Shark Tank,” is set to house its own natural gas plant to supply 9 gigawatts of energy to self-sustain the center, more than double what the entire state consumes in a year. That power generation will be isolated from the grid Utahns share, so it wouldn’t have any effect on utility rates, developers say.

Developers are also planning on using a closed-loop system to cool their equipment, using privately-owned water rights that are unsuitable for drinking or irrigation. But, without a definitive environmental study, the public remains skeptical. 

James Evans, a retired geosciences professor from Logan, showed up to join the people who gathered outside the fairgrounds to rally against the project. He said he wished leaders had slowed down and thought the decision through. 

“I was really struck by the cavalier attitude with which everybody involved was making these decisions and these discussions. This is a multibillion-dollar project. They are talking about building one of the largest gas-fired electrical power plants on planet Earth,” he said.

However, the commissioners’ decision ended up being what Evans expected.

“I think that this unfair process really puts a tremendous burden on these three county commissioners. I don’t think they really have had enough data. They’ve not had enough time, but they have had so much pressure put on them,” Evans said. “I really, truly feel sorry for them.”

What’s next

Now that the county’s approval has been secured, developers will conduct a capital-raising effort, Casey Hill, a spokesperson for O’Leary Digital said after the meeting. The entire project will be over $1 billion. Its first phase will start in the next few months, he said. 

Now, the state environmental permitting process also begins, and developers have committed to hold town halls with the community at different steps of the process. 

With the resolutions, commissioners laid out certain guardrails around the project, including county representation on a project board, in addition to dark skies protections, noise standards and public safety assurances.