Utahns Fight 'Stratos' Hyperscale Data Center Amid Environmental, Process Concerns

The controversy surrounding the Stratos data center highlights growing tensions between rapid AI infrastructure expansion and local environmental/governance concerns. While hyperscale data centers are critical for AI compute, their land and resource demands are creating flashpoints in communities unprepared for the scale and speed of development. This case exemplifies the challenge of balancing national strategic interests in AI with local autonomy and ecological preservation. Watch for the outcome of ongoing legal challenges and how political figures navigate public pressure, which could influence future data center siting nationwide.

The conflict over the Stratos project intensified following Box Elder County's rejection of two referendum attempts by local opponents in late May (KUER, May 2026). The county attorney deemed the referendums legally invalid, stating they targeted administrative actions rather than new laws. Organizers of the Box Elder Accountability Referendum plan to appeal this ruling in state courts.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has publicly acknowledged issues with the project's rollout, stating that "the process was not good" (Grist, May 2026). He indicated that future data center decisions should involve his office and elected representatives more directly. Cox, who previously emphasized the project's national security importance and Utah's "obligation" to its development, also issued an executive order requiring a "higher bar for data center development" that considers utility rates and environmental impacts. This shift occurred amidst mounting criticism, including nearly 4,000 protest letters against a water right filed for the project.

Energy sources for Stratos remain a contentious point. Initially, MIDA officials suggested the facility would be powered "100 percent off the Ruby Pipeline," a natural gas pipeline. However, Governor Cox later stated the project would "never" be solely natural gas-powered, anticipating phases utilizing nuclear, geothermal, and solar energy (Grist, May 2026). Climate scientists, such as Logan Mitchell of Utah Clean Energy, estimate a 9-gigawatt natural gas plant could increase Utah's carbon emissions by 64% annually, highlighting the environmental stakes of the power source debate.