Backlash Escalates as Utah Approves Giant AI Datacenter and Its Water-Power Toll

Utah’s Box Elder County approved Stratos, a colossal AI datacenter footprint spanning more than 40,000 acres across three sites, requiring about 9GW of power and substantial water use. Critics warn the project would stress drought-stricken water resources and worsen heat and ecological pressures on the Great Salt Lake, while supporters tout job creation and national AI competitiveness. Opponents are pursuing a referendum, and developers plan to refile a water-diversion application, promising a phased development with safeguards as state leaders call for accountability.