Backlash Escalates as Utah Approves Giant AI Datacenter and Its Water-Power Toll
TL;DR
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.
- ‘Irresponsible’: backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan The Guardian
- Water rights request for massive Box Elder data center withdrawn after thousands of Utahns file protests The Salt Lake Tribune
- Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary wants to build a massive $100 billion data center in rural Utah. Residents are revolting Fortune
- Why Utah residents are protesting a massive AI data center project backed by Kevin O’Leary | CNN Business CNN
- Experts question job projections for massive Utah data center KUTV
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