Utah Governor Spencer Cox offers assurances about protecting the Great Salt Lake while defending the data center proposal in Box Elder County. The plan calls for a massive data center complex spread across 40,000 acres of undeveloped land using power-generating capacity of up to 9 gigawatts to serve the military. Kevin Leary and O'Leary Digital are the moving forces behind the project, with the cooperation of Utah's Military Installation Development Authority, a state entity that promotes economic development initiatives linked to the military.
SALT LAKE CITY — After a week of intense debate over the Box Elder County data center proposal, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox jumped back into the discussion, offering assuring words about protecting the Great Salt Lake .
"In accordance with state law, I am directing the Utah Department of Natural Resources to ensure that the most environmentally sensitive cooling technology is used to ensure that our water and the Great Salt Lake are protected," he said in a message thread posted on Friday to X. Water used for the project "must be reported publicly, and in no event will the developer reduce water going to the Great Salt Lake. "Box Elder County commissioners on Monday signed off on the proposal, the Stratos Project Area, despite strong opposition from many.
Plans call for a massive data center complex spread across 40,000 acres of undeveloped Box Elder County land and up to 9 gigawatts of power-generating capacity to serve it. Proponents say the data centers, to be used by the military, would be key to national defense while critics have worried about the water required to run it and the resulting impact on the environment, particularly the Great Sale Lake.
Cox last week voiced support for the plans and a measure of impatience toward naysayers and others who worry project plans, which came to broad public light late last month, are unfolding too quickly. He struck a more conciliatory tone in his message Friday amid intense backlash from project critics, acknowledging the concerns raised by some about the project's potential impact on water, air quality and more.
I've heard from a lot of Utahns over the past week about the proposed data center project in Box Elder County. Many are asking questions about water, air quality, energy, land use, and the long-term impact on rural Utah. Those are real concerns, and all Utahns should expect clear… pic.twitter.com/UIpZRParUs— Governor Cox May 8, 2026 "Those are real concerns, and all Utahns should expect clear standards and accountability," he wrote.
Celebrity businessman Kevin Leary and O'Leary Digital are the moving forces behind the project, working with Utah's Military Installation Development Authority, a state entity that promotes economic development initiatives linked to the military. Cox remains a supporter of the project, however, though he outlined several directives the state will follow to keep tabs on project development and other guidelines that will apply to the initi
Data Center Great Salt Lake Proposal Plan Cooling Technology Protect Water State Follow Instructions Ensure Reporting
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