Utah communities push back as billionaire-backed AI data center moves forward near Great Salt Lake

Box Elder County approved a 40,000‑acre Stratos AI data‑center campus near the shrinking Great Salt Lake to power a 9‑GW facility with a natural‑gas plant, a project backed by Kevin O’Leary that officials say could create roughly 10,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent positions. Critics warn the plan could harm the local ecosystem and water resources, calling for independent studies, more information, and a referendum to overturn the decision; a referendum petition is being reviewed, and the first gigawatt could be online within two years as early work is expected to begin this fall.