Full Breakdown
Utah Residents Rally Against the Stratos Data Center Project in Box Elder County
5/25/2026, 12:10:47 AM
Core Event
On May 23, 2026, over 600 Utah residents gathered at the Salt Lake City Capitol to demand a stop to the Stratos data center in Box Elder County. Protesters displayed signs about water scarcity, the Great Salt Lake, and the project's massive size, chanting, “For our children, air, water and land, we’ll keep on fighting and take a stand.”
Background & Scale
The Stratos project, led by Canadian entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary, proposes a military-focused data center and power network. The approved campus will cover 10,000-13,000 acres of a 40,000-acre site, preserving about 7,500 acres as open space. Planned capacity is 7.5-9 GW, a scale described as “twice the size of Manhattan.” A Deseret News-Hinckley Institute poll shows a majority of Utah voters oppose the plan, and more than 20 data-center proposals are pending statewide. Over 400 residents have each paid $15 to contest water-right transfers for the project.
Official Statements & Key Actors
Governor Spencer Cox, who declared a state drought, argues rapid development is needed to keep the United States ahead of China. Kevin O'Leary says the facility is vital for national security and calls critics “professional protestors” bused in from elsewhere. O'Leary Digital CEO Paul Palandjian notes no foreign agents are identified but that a “Utah progressive advocacy network” faces federal scrutiny. Minority Leader Angela Romero urges continued grassroots action, calling protestors a committed “superminority.”
Opposition & Concerns
Opponents warn the project could deplete northern Utah water supplies, lower inflow to the Great Salt Lake, and raise local temperatures. They argue the 7.5-9 GW demand exceeds current renewable capacity and that approval lacked independent environmental studies. Protesters reject O'Leary’s claim they are paid “professional protestors” linked to the Chinese Communist Party, stating they traveled from Utah at personal cost. No independent verification of either claim exists.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The water, the food, the planet, the environment — we can't get that back once we take it away,” — Christaline Cornell, protestor
- “Our Great Salt Lake is dying, and when it dies, we are going to die with it,” — Carolyn Lenzie, Box Elder resident
- “Something really special is happening in Box Elder and around Utah. ... It is the most unifying thing I've ever seen. In a day of political division, regular people are coming together, regardless of who they voted for in the last election,” — Shannon Barton, BEAR organizer
- “It's very suspicious … to try to rush the largest data center in the world, into our community, without environmental studies. …. Some people must be getting paid,” — Dan Ogden, protestor
What's Next
Organizers plan to file a local referendum, increase voter registration, and demand independent water-use studies. The developer will seek state and federal permits, while the county commission may face legal challenges over environmental compliance.
