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Residents Vote to Stop AI Center Threatening Great Salt Lake

5/9/2026

33 7 Full Breakdown

Left

Activists Warn

Activists warn the AI data center’s water demand could further shrink the Great Salt Lake, raise dust and threaten health.
Hundreds of Box Elder County residents filed a petition to place November referendum on ballot blocking 40,000-acre AI data center.
Kevin O'Leary claimed more than 90 % of protesters were out-of-state and were paid to attend.
Officials reviewed over 2,500 comments as residents said the approval was rushed and not transparent.

Right

County Approves AI

The Utah Military Installation Development Authority set a 0.5% energy tax for the project, far below the authorized 6%.
County officials approved the Stratos AI data center project in Box Elder County, Utah.
Police officers were posted outside commissioners’ homes after the meeting over fears of further demonstrations.
Developers say natural gas will serve as a bridge fuel because it is scalable, dispatchable.

History

Historical Context

In 2004 the Utah Lake System’s Record of Decision formalized water-use limits for the lake’s municipal and industrial supply, a response to declining levels in the arid state. The Central Utah Project and Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District—serving more than 600,000 residents—have since driven conservation campaigns. Stratos AI’s cooling-water demand in Box Elder County now revives those long-standing water-security debates.

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Activists Warn

Activists warn the AI data center’s water demand could further shrink the Great Salt Lake, raise dust and threaten health.
Hundreds of Box Elder County residents filed a petition to place November referendum on ballot blocking 40,000-acre AI data center.
Kevin O'Leary claimed more than 90 % of protesters were out-of-state and were paid to attend.
Officials reviewed over 2,500 comments as residents said the approval was rushed and not transparent.

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