Stratos Project, in order
What happened with this project, oldest first: the stages it reached, what the county and its cities decided, and every dated step on the record. Each entry links its source.
44 events, January 1, 2018 to September 2, 2026. Also on the record, under the month each belongs to: 190 statements, 56 figures from other sources and 86 lines that are not events of their own. The facts, newest first: the record; the place: Utah.
A plain date is the day it happened, as the source states it, or as the line's own sentence states it ("voted on July 6"), which is where the line sits even when it was filed later. "Reported" and a date is the day a source published a line that carries no date of its own. Those lines, and lines that describe rather than report an act, sit under their month rather than on the timeline, with what was said and the figures other sources gave. Every timeline on the site reads its lines by this one rule. How dates are read.
2018 1 event
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(the year its own sentence names; filed under Aug 6, 2026)
Entry
Meta broke ground on Eagle Mountain data center in 2018 and opened facility in 2021 [14]
2025 1 event
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(the year its own sentence names; filed under Aug 20, 2026)
Entry
Cox proposed changes to MIDA in 2025 but they did not pass [108]
2026 42 events
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(content date, the month only; the source names no day)
waiting on permits
O'Leary announced plans for data center in Utah's Hansel Valley in February 2026 [117]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Jun 1, 2026)
Entry
O'Leary announced Stratos proposal in February after discussing with Gov. Spencer Cox starting in January; Box Elder residents did not learn of proposal until late April public hearing. [21]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under May 18, 2026)
Entry
Box Elder County commissioners approved Stratos Project in April 2026 [96]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Jul 27, 2026)
Entry
In April, the Stratos data center proposal cleared an initial round of approval from Utah's Military Installation Development Authority [91]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Aug 20, 2026)
Entry
The Military Installation Development Authority first approved the Stratos Project in April [111]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Jun 4, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County Commission held a public hearing in late April 2026 on the Stratos project hcn.org
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under May 19, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Military Installation Development Authority board approved guidelines and tax incentive plan on April 24 ksl.com
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Also in April 2026: 1 figure from another source
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Deseret News
4 GW: Kevin O'Leary stated the entire state of Utah consumes about 4 gigawatts of power over the course of a year Deseret News local outlet
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under May 19, 2026)
Entry
O'Leary Digital pulled back an application to use 1,900 acre feet of spring water for Stratos project in May 2026 after thousands of objections [74]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Aug 6, 2026)
Entry
Project Stratos was quietly approved in May 2026 [14]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under May 19, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County Commission approved an interlocal agreement with MIDA in early May 2026 utahnewsdispatch.com
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Aug 19, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County commissioners approved the plan in May despite vocal opposition finance.yahoo.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
waiting on permits
The data center campus is set to house its own natural gas plant to supply 9 gigawatts of energy [65]
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(content date)
approved
Box Elder County commissioners voted unanimously for two resolutions consenting to a Military Installation Development Authority project area for a 40,000 acre data center campus with its own natural gas power plant, at a special meeting attended by about 1,100 people. [65]
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under May 13, 2026)
Entry
Opponents filed two applications seeking authority to petition for a ballot referendum on the May 4 action by county commissioners [102]
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under May 13, 2026)
Entry
Box Elder County Commission approved two resolutions allowing the Stratos Project to proceed on May 4 [102]
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(content date)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County commissioners voted unanimously to consent to the Stratos MIDA project area at a special meeting where about 1,100 people gathered and a referendum effort formed within days. utahnewsdispatch.com
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under May 19, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County commissioners passed two resolutions on May 4 allowing the initiative to proceed ksl.com
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under Jun 1, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Thousands of Utahns submitted negative comments, and hundreds of Box Elder residents attended May 4 county commission meeting shouting down politicians. slate.com
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under Jun 4, 2026)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County Commission voted unanimously on May 4, 2026 to approve the partnership with MIDA for Stratos after hundreds of residents protested hcn.org
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(content date)
Entry
The first water right change application for the project, filed by the landowner to move water from irrigation to industrial use, was withdrawn, and the company said it would refile with additional supporting information. [73]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
waiting on permits
The Stratos project would span roughly 40,000 acres across three sites in Box Elder County north and west of the Great Salt Lake [90]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
approved
Box Elder County commissioners approved the Stratos Project data center development [123]
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(content date)
Entry
The Box Elder Accountability Referendum filed two referendum applications to put the county commission's approval before voters, which would require 5,422 signatures in 45 days if the applications were accepted. [70]
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(content date)
Entry
Demonstrators rallied at the Utah Capitol and delivered a letter signed by about 6,000 people asking Governor Spencer Cox to take binding action on the Great Salt Lake and the project. [71]
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(the day its own sentence names; filed under Sep 22, 2026)
Entry
Utahns gathered at the state Capitol to protest the Stratos Project data center on May 14, 2026 [84]
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(content date)
Entry
The second water right change application for the project, filed by Murray Hollow L.C., was withdrawn by a notice dated May 22 that gave no reason, after nearly 700 protest letters had been filed against it. [77]
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(content date)
Entry
Hundreds of people rallied on the Utah Capitol steps demanding a halt to the project, with speakers raising air quality, greenhouse gas and water supply concerns. [75]
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(content date)
Entry
Box Elder County Attorney Stephen R. Hadfield rejected three referendum applications, finding the commission's resolutions were administrative actions that cannot be referred to voters under Utah law. [79]
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Also in May 2026: 39 statements, 21 figures from other sources and 24 lines that are not events of their own
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO and co-founder of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said they will preserve hunting sanctuaries and have leaseback agreements with ranchers for continued grazing operations KSL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO and co-founder of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said Kevin O'Leary was an environmental studies major and cares deeply about environmental issues KSL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO and co-founder of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said the power plant will produce only 5 percent of the carbon emissions of similar plants KSL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO and co-founder of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said the data center will use a modern closed loop cooling system with water and glycol that will use significantly less water than agriculture on the same plots of land KSL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO and co-founder of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said O'Leary Digital is working out plans to offer AI literacy courses for area schools and help with undergraduate and graduate programs KSL.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL.com
9 GW: Paul Palandjian, CEO and co founder of O'Leary Digital, said the power plant would produce up to nearly 9 gigawatts of electricity KSL.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
First phase of the project will start in the next few months [65]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The project will use a closed loop system to cool equipment with privately owned water rights [65]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Commissioners laid out guardrails including county representation on project board, dark skies protections, noise standards and public safety assurances utahnewsdispatch.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Developers will be required to get an air quality permit and then an engineering review, which typically takes 150 to 200 days utahnewsdispatch.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County commissioners unanimously approved two resolutions in support of a 40,000 acre data center campus utahnewsdispatch.com
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Lee Perry, Box Elder County Commissioner
Lee Perry, Box Elder County Commissioner, said the vote is not the end of the process and the project will be subject to continued oversight and regulatory review Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
1,000,000,000 dollars: The entire project will cost over 1 billion dollars Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
1,100 people: About 1,100 people filled the Box Elder County Fairgrounds for the meeting Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Military Installation Development Authority
40,000 acres: The Stratos project area is about 40,000 acres of unincorporated land in Hansel Valley Military Installation Development Authority primary source
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Howell Town, with a population of around 240, is the closest populated town to the proposed site [90]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The proposed data center site covers forty thousand acres [123]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
The commission received 2,500 submitted comments from the community realtor.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County Commission unanimously approved a resolution giving MIDA consent to create the Stratos project area on land owned by Department of Defense and Utah Trust Lands Administration realtor.com
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tyler Vincent, Box Elder County Commissioner
Box Elder County Commissioner Tyler Vincent said today's decision is just the beginning of the oversight process Realtor.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, O'Leary Digital founder
Kevin O'Leary said sustainability concerns around air, water use, heat, and noise pollution are at the heart of the project Realtor.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Realtor.com
70,000,000,000 USD: O'Leary Digital is also building a 70 billion dollar AI data center in Alberta, Canada Realtor.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Realtor.com
10.4 GW: New York City uses 10.4 gigawatts during the hottest summer months Realtor.com local outlet
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(content date)
Entry
Kevin O'Leary told CNN that developers had invested about 20 million dollars, would seek letters of intent from tenants and further investment for a project that could cost more than 100 billion dollars, and aimed to have the first gigawatt operating within two years. [69]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary stated the United States is falling behind in AI data centers and must catch up due to national security concerns regarding China YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Davy Musser
The proposed methane fired power plant would double Utah's natural gas usage and increase the state's carbon emissions by 50 percent YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Utah Military Installation Development Authority
Utah Military Installation Development Authority stated the Stratos Project aligns with long term national defense, energy resilience, and economic development goals YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · County officials
County officials claim the data center will use less water than current agricultural land usage, resulting in a net benefit for the Great Salt Lake YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Davy Musser
No Environmental Impact Statement or official research on exact water and power demands for the Stratos Project has been published YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · YouTube
3 GW: Phase 1 of the project requires 3 gigawatts of power (Phase 1) YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · YouTube
13,000 acre feet: The developers are purchasing 13,000 acre feet of water rights, equivalent to 4.24 billion gallons annually YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · YouTube
9 GW: The Stratos Project has a total planned power capacity of 9 gigawatts at full buildout across 40,000 acres in Box Elder County YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · YouTube
1,180,000 households: Utah currently has 1.18 million households YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KUTV
22 percent: Brookings research found information sector employment rises by 22 percent when a county sees its first data center KUTV local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KUTV
4 to 5 percent: Brookings research on 770 data centers found when a county gets its first data center, total private employment rises by 4 to 5 percent KUTV local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KUTV
11 percent: Brookings research found construction employment rises by 11 percent when a county sees its first data center KUTV local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KUTV
2,000 to 4,000 jobs: Brookings research found counties hosting major data centers can see overall employment rise by roughly 2,000 to 4,000 jobs after several years KUTV local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KUTV
34 percent: Data center construction grew 34 percent year over year compared with roughly 1 percent growth across total construction KUTV local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The Stratos Project would operate on approximately 40,000 acres and include up to 9 gigawatts of power producing capacity on site [102]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox acknowledged that project opponents have 'real concerns' after initially dismissing their criticism ksl.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, O'Leary Digital
Kevin O'Leary accused opponents of being proxies for the Chinese government in an interview with Fox News ksl.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos developers are committing to pursue energy sources apart from natural gas including low or no emissions solutions [72]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project site covers 40,000 acres [72]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Box Elder County commissioners voted to keep the Stratos project moving forward [72]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Utah Military Installation Development Authority approved the Stratos project [72]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The proposed Stratos data center in Box Elder County spans forty thousand acres and generates sixteen gigawatts of thermal load [124]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Izzy Hodges
Residents in Crawford, Texas face twenty four seven artificial daylight and constant mechanical noise due to a nearby AI data center YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary stated that planning and execution of the Stratos Data Center project must be rushed due to intense global competition in AI technology YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Rob Davies, physics professor
Thermal output from the Utah data center could raise daytime temperatures by five degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures by up to twenty eight degrees Fahrenheit YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Rob Davies, physics professor
Analysis by physics professor Dr. Rob Davies indicates the Stratos data center could release heat equivalent to twenty three atomic bombs daily YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox stated taking time does not make things better or safer Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox directed the Department of Natural Resources to ensure environmentally sensitive cooling technology is used Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary claimed China built four hundred gigawatts of new power capacity over twenty four months, with much powering AI data centers YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
9 GW: Stratos project is expected to produce 9 gigawatts of energy Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, Chairman, O'Leary Digital
O'Leary claimed money from Alliance for a Better Utah moved through Arabella Advisors before tracing back to China FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, Chairman, O'Leary Digital
Kevin O'Leary said he would release IRS Form 990 documents supporting allegations that opposition groups have ties to China FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Gabi Finlayson, Elevate Strategies
Gabi Finlayson of Elevate Strategies denied being Chinese foreign operatives and said opposition focuses on impacts to electrical grid, water supply and Great Salt Lake FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Elizabeth Hutchings, Alliance for a Better Utah
Elizabeth Hutchings of Alliance for a Better Utah said the group is funded by grassroots donors and Utahns FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Bar H Ranch water rights application for 1,900 acre feet transfer was pulled but will be refiled for Stratos Project [96]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Developer partnership plans to purchase roughly 3,000 acre feet of on site water rights and has around 10,000 acre feet under contract from Snowville [96]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos Project spans 40,000 acres in Box Elder County, Utah [96]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · grist.org
64 percent: Stratos Project would raise Utah's carbon emissions by 64 percent grist.org national outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · grist.org
28 degrees Fahrenheit: Physics professor Robert Davies estimates Stratos could produce enough heat to spike nighttime temperatures by as much as 28 degrees Fahrenheit in the high desert valley grist.org national outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · grist.org
9 GW: Stratos Project would demand 9 gigawatts of power at full completion grist.org national outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project features a 3,000 acre solar array aimed to produce 500 megawatts of electricity [74]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project has a site to generate 1 gigawatt of natural gas power paired with battery storage systems [74]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project includes another 100 megawatt data center [74]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos data center campus includes a cluster of ten 100MW data center buildings [74]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary claimed three Utah individuals opposing the data center project were working against American national security and received financial support from China YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO, O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said data center would use less water than current users (ranchers and farmers) by tapping into existing water rights KSL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Max Roth, FOX 13 News reporter
Max Roth reported that project renderings portray snow capped mountain peaks not located near the site and omit energy and water infrastructure YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO, O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital, said requests for more study of environmental impacts are welcome and reasonable KSL.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary stated that ninety percent of the protesters against the data center project were bused in from out of state YouTube video
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tim Davis, Utah Department of Environmental Quality commissioner
Tim Davis, Utah Department of Environmental Quality commissioner, estimated it could take two years for Stratos to receive necessary state approvals Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO, O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said every single landowner in the MIDA project zone has signed a letter of support KSL.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
2,000 jobs: Stratos development could create 2,000 jobs within the project area Utah News Dispatch local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Data center developers initially said the project would consume 9 gigawatts of power at full build, with all electricity coming from an on site natural gas plant [101]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tim Davis, Utah Department of Environmental Quality Commissioner
Tim Davis, commissioner of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, stated the project must comply with federal Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act requirements and will require air quality permits for natural gas powered generators and diesel fired backup generators Cache Valley Daily local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Cox said future decisions like this should involve his office and the Legislature The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Spencer Cox acknowledged that the rollout of the controversial Stratos data center project in Box Elder County was not handled well The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Cache Valley Daily
64 percent: Energy experts have calculated emissions would raise the state's emissions by as much as 64 percent, producing more carbon pollution than Utah's entire transportation sector Cache Valley Daily local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox said the Stratos Project will never be powered solely by natural gas; future phases should use nuclear, geothermal, and solar power grist.org national outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Cox acknowledged the process for Stratos Project approval was not good and said future decisions should involve his office and elected representatives grist.org national outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tina Cannon
Most members of the public were unaware of MIDA until the Box Elder County data center project YouTube video
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
approved
Project received initial approval from Utah Military Installation Development Authority and Box Elder County Commission with unanimous vote, despite massive public opposition from residents. [21]
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(the month its own sentence names; no day is given; filed under Aug 28, 2026)
Entry
J. Stuart Adams lost his reelection bid in June to Stephanie Hollist [118]
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(content date)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Alliance for a Better Utah and five unnamed Box Elder County plaintiffs filed suit in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake City arguing that the approvals of the Stratos plans by the Military Installation Development Authority and Box Elder County commissioners violate the Utah Constitution, and asking that they be nullified. ksl.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
waiting on permits
The scaling back involves trimming acreage around Locomotive Springs and Interstate 80 [89]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary Digital released revised maps for Wonder Valley project on June 4, 2026 [92]
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(content date)
Entry
Box Elder County commissioners passed a 180 day moratorium on new data centers and data center power plants on unincorporated county land, which county officials said does not apply to the Stratos project area under MIDA's land use authority. [80]
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(content date)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance imposing a 180 day moratorium on new data centers and data center power plants on unincorporated land while the county studies zoning and development standards. upr.org
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Also in June 2026: 18 statements, 4 figures from other sources and 12 lines that are not events of their own
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary made concession, halving the Stratos project size in response to Adams' demands [97]
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · J. Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams called for 75 percent reduction to Box Elder data center project The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Adams demanded that any excess water from the Stratos project be treated and dedicated to the Great Salt Lake at the developer's expense utahnewsdispatch.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary rejected Adams' demand for 75% reduction, calling it outrageous and comparing it to selling a house and being told to live in the upstairs toilet utahnewsdispatch.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President, called for 75% reduction in Stratos project area from 40,000 acres to 10,000 acres utahnewsdispatch.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, entrepreneur
Kevin O'Leary says he is not walking away from Utah data center project The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · J. Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Adams cited public feedback and further review as reasons for calling for the 75% reduction The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · J. Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams sent a letter to Kevin O'Leary calling for a 75% reduction in the proposed data center project area The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Slate Magazine
35,000 acres: Facility designed to be more than twice the size of Manhattan and bigger than Bryce Canyon's 35,000 acres, with dozens of data centers, research facilities, and potential worker housing. Slate Magazine national outlet
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(content date)
Figure · Utah Senate, letter hosted by Utah Public Radio
10,000 acres: Senate President J. Stuart Adams demanded the project area be reduced by at least 75%, from 40,000 acres to approximately 10,000 acres Utah Senate, letter hosted by Utah Public Radio primary source
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Entry
Stratos facility will be more than twice the size of Manhattan with dozens of data centers, research facilities, and worker housing [42]
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Entry
Kevin O'Leary began discussing Stratos with Governor Spencer Cox in January 2026 and announced it in February 2026 [42]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos is planned on 40,000 acres of unincorporated land in Box Elder County next to the Great Salt Lake [42]
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Entry
O'Leary agreed to remove the 620 acre parcel in the northeast portion of the area near the highway [99]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary agreed to remove 19,430 acres in and around the Locomotive Springs area in recognition of the Locomotive Springs Waterfowl Management Area [99]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary agreed to reduce the data center project footprint by 75 percent, from approximately 40,000 acres to approximately 10,000 acres [95]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder Accountability Referendum filed to allow voters to overturn the county commission's approval of Stratos hcn.org
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Over 1,000 people attend Box Elder County commission meeting on May 4 to protest Stratos data center project utahnewsdispatch.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County attorney Stephen Hadfield denies BEAR referendum applications, concluding approved resolutions were administrative actions not subject to referendum utahnewsdispatch.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder Accountability Referendum group files court appeal of county attorney decision denying referendum on Stratos Project utahnewsdispatch.com
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams sent a demand letter to Kevin O'Leary calling for a 75 percent reduction in the proposed data center project area, from 40,000 acres to approximately 10,000 acres standard.net local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
O'Leary said the project will not be the largest data center in the world sltrib.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams announces call for Stratos Project to be scaled back by 75 percent utahnewsdispatch.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Adams required that any excess water be treated and dedicated to the Great Salt Lake standard.net local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, O'Leary Digital
O'Leary committed to heat capture technology and independent scientific and engineering reviews of environmental impacts, water use, infrastructure demands and long term sustainability standard.net local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, celebrity investor
Kevin O'Leary said he would cut 40,000 acre data center project by roughly half in letter to Utah Senate president on June 4, 2026 NBC News national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary told Senate President J. Stuart Adams the Stratos project will be scaled back by cutting thousands of acres sltrib.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
O'Leary agreed to dedicate any excess water to the Great Salt Lake kjzz.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · NBC News
40,000 acre: Original planned project size is 40,000 acres roughly twice the size of Manhattan NBC News national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary
O'Leary committed to using latest technology to conserve water, dedicating excess water to Great Salt Lake, entering MOU with Utah Department of Natural Resources on wildlife and agriculture, and commissioning independent scientific analysis of thermal load with heat capture technology. ksl.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams and Brenna Williams
Utah Senate President Stuart Adams praised O'Leary's concessions, saying they address concerns and reduce effective project footprint by 75 percent, but opponent Brenna Williams expressed skepticism that Thursday's announcement represents meaningful change. ksl.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · ksl.com
10,000 to 13,000 acres: Data center campus at full buildout would measure 10,000-13,000 acres, though prior comment by Palandjian did not clarify if this included power generation elements. ksl.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos plans to generate its own power on site using natural gas from the Ruby pipeline and sell excess electricity back to the grid [122]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Robert Davies, Utah State University Professor
Heat generated by the Stratos data center complex could create a local heat island that raises daytime temperatures by five degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures by twenty eight degrees Fahrenheit YouTube video
-
-
(content date)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Defamation suit filed by Alliance for a Better Utah, Elevate Strategies, Joshua Kanter and Gabrielle Finlayson on July 15 alleging O'Leary defamed them by suggesting they had links to China. ksl.com
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
MIDA paused Stratos project out of respect for referendum process and litigation on July 27, 2026 route-fifty.com
-
(content date)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
O'Leary Digital filed a response asking the 1st District Court in Brigham City to dismiss the lawsuit over Box Elder County's rejection of the Stratos referendum, arguing that the county's two Stratos resolutions were administrative and cannot be put to voters. ksl.com
-
(content date)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County filed a response asking the 1st District Court in Brigham City to dismiss the lawsuit over its rejection of the Stratos referendum, arguing that neither of the two Stratos resolutions is legislative. ksl.com
-
Also in July 2026: 22 statements, 9 figures from other sources and 17 lines that are not events of their own
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Maria Bartiromo, Fox News journalist
Fox News journalist Maria Bartiromo apologized on behalf of Fox News on June 26 for airing unsubstantiated claims about Chinese ties to data center opponents ksl.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, entrepreneur and O'Leary Digital founder
Kevin O'Leary clarified in a June 25 social media post that he has no evidence that Alliance for a Better Utah or Elevate Strategies are funded by China or the Chinese Communist Party ksl.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Todd Weiler, Utah State Senator
Utah Senator Todd Weiler apologized on social media on June 30, saying he was duped after posting earlier claims about Chinese funding of Alliance for a Better Utah ksl.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, Utah Republican Senator
Curtis said the industry has failed to properly articulate why data centers are needed in the United States and why they should not be built overseas Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, U.S. Senator
Curtis said the Stratos Project is a massive data center campus that sparked opposition in the state because of its magnitude and quick approval process through the Military Installation Development Authority Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, Utah Republican Senator
Sen. John Curtis said he is pursuing federal standards to help mitigate distrust around data center projects Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, U.S. Senator
Curtis said he wants to work on bringing reliable, predictable measuring techniques at the federal level so the public can have access to standard metrics to determine whether projects are sustainable Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, Utah Republican Senator
Curtis referred to uncertainty about whether data center power is behind the meter or connected to the grid, citing the Stratos Project as an example Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, U.S. Senator
Utah Sen. John Curtis is pursuing federal standards to help mitigate distrust around data center projects Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · John Curtis, U.S. Senator
Curtis said the industry has failed to articulate why data centers are needed and why they should be in the United States rather than overseas Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Kevin O'Leary promised 1,000 foot property buffer between Stratos project and residential neighborhoods. [58]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project agreement sends 80 percent of key property tax revenue to O'Leary's company, leaving 20 percent for MIDA and state. [58]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project proposed area reduced from 40,000 acres to 10,000 acres. [58]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Utah Military Installation Development Authority reduced standard 6 percent energy tax to 0.5 percent for Stratos project. ksl.com
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL.com
6 GW: Loudoun County data centers combined use 6 gigawatts of power. KSL.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL.com
100,000,000 dollars per year: Stratos project promised more than 100 million dollars in annual tax revenue to Box Elder County at full capacity. KSL.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary and Palandjian propose pipeline to channel excess unused water to Salt Lake or drainage [93]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos water would be sourced from groundwater, not directly from Great Salt Lake or rivers feeding it [93]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said Stratos will not be a net negative to the Great Salt Lake FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said the data center will cool by recirculating water with little to no ongoing water use FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital CEO
Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital CEO, states Stratos will use no more than 1,800 acre feet of water annually at full scale FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Feras Batarseh, Virginia Tech AI Lab Director
Feras Batarseh, Virginia Tech AI lab director, expresses skepticism that available technologies will save as much water as O'Leary team claims FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital, estimated Stratos would use at full scale approximately 1,800 acre feet of water annually FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital CEO
Paul Palandjian states Stratos will not be a net negative to the Great Salt Lake FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital CEO
Paul Palandjian states modern data centers do not use a lot of water and require little to no ongoing water use for cooling FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Feras Batarseh, Virginia Tech professor and AI lab director
Feras Batarseh, Virginia Tech professor and AI lab director, said groundwater is connected to surface water and ten percent of the Great Salt Lake's water comes from groundwater FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · FOX 13 News Utah
10 percent: Utah Geological Association 2024 research estimates 10 percent of Great Salt Lake's water comes from groundwater FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · FOX 13 News Utah
1,800 acre feet: 1,800 acre feet would be equivalent to as much water as 5,000 homes use every year according to EPA estimates FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Only three people voted to approve the initial Stratos project agreement [121]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Kevin O'Leary reduced the project footprint from forty thousand acres to twenty thousand acres following public pressure [121]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Developers plan to generate power on site by burning natural gas from the nearby Ruby Pipeline [121]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The Stratos data center project initially covered forty thousand acres in rural Utah [121]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Cox committed to slowing down data center permits and requiring careful evaluation of environmental impacts YouTube video
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry · Moratorium
MIDA paused work on Stratos out of respect for the referendum process and litigation [91]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Kevin O'Leary halved the Stratos project size in response to demands from Senate President Stuart Adams [91]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County Commission did not take public comment before giving unanimous support to Stratos project in April 2026 route-fifty.com
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
A citizens' group in Box Elder County filed a lawsuit against MIDA and pursued a referendum to undo the county's approval utahnewsdispatch.com
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County Commission gave unanimous support to the Stratos project without taking public comment utahnewsdispatch.com
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
30,000,000 dollars: Stratos data center project backers say it would bring an initial $30 million to Box Elder County Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · route-fifty.com
30,000,000 dollars: Stratos developers claim the project would bring initial 30 million dollars to Box Elder County route-fifty.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
13,000 acre feet a year: Stratos developers are seeking water rights for more than 13,000 acre feet per year Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · route-fifty.com
13,000 acre feet per year: Stratos water rights application seeks more than 13,000 acre feet, enough to supply 26,000 households per year route-fifty.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Utah News Dispatch
2,000 jobs: Stratos developers say the project would provide 2,000 permanent skilled jobs Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary's team hopes to file for a water permit by the end of next month (end of August) [88]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary's team hopes to file for a water permit by the end of August 2026 [88]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, developer
Kevin O'Leary said work on the Stratos data center project is 'full steam ahead' The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Utah Military Installation Development Authority
Utah's Military Installation Development Authority said it is on pause, awaiting permit requests for the Stratos project The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, Stratos project developer
Kevin O'Leary said work on the Stratos data center project is "full steam ahead" The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
-
-
(content date)
Entry
The Military Installation Development Authority gave an initial green light to the Stratos data center project in Box Elder County [108]
-
Also in August 2026: 64 statements, 10 figures from other sources and 18 lines that are not events of their own
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
O'Leary called criticisms of Project Stratos misinformation. MS NOW local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary, investor and Shark Tank star, backs Project Stratos AI data center proposal. MS NOW local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · ms.now
9 GW: Project still plans to utilize as much as 9 gigawatts of power ms.now local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · ms.now
20,000 acre: O'Leary scaled back the size by half to 20,000 acres ms.now local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · ms.now
40,000 acre: O'Leary originally planned to buy 40,000 acres, twice the size of Manhattan ms.now local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Rebecca Kilberg, Aspen Institute fellow
Three fellows at the Aspen Institute's Aspen Policy Academy undertook research into data center growth in Utah and the Great Salt Lake water level as part of the 2024 Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Route Fifty trade press
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary agreed to cut the project by half to 20,000 acres after public outcry [113]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The project was initially proposed at 40,000 acres [113]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, developer
O'Leary said 'I have no interest in causing an environmental disaster on my legacy. That's never going to happen.' Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, developer
O'Leary said he would produce plans for a one GB facility showing heat profile, light, noise and water use Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, Stratos project developer
O'Leary said he has no interest in causing an environmental disaster on his legacy moneywise.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, Stratos project developer
O'Leary said the data center industry has not communicated what it does to communities moneywise.com local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, developer
Kevin O'Leary said 'We really screwed this up. We have not communicated what we do.' Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Dr. Robert Davies, associate professor of physics at Utah State University
Dr. Robert Davies said the project at proposed scale would consume as much power as two states of Utah or three New York Cities Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, developer
O'Leary said he intends to submit permit applications Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, developer
O'Leary confirmed 'Am I going to build this data center? The answer is yes.' Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
After public outcry, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams called on O'Leary to cut the scale by 75 percent Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, Stratos project developer
Kevin O'Leary said his company screwed up in communicating the Stratos project moneywise.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Yahoo Finance
20,000 acres: O'Leary conceded to cut the project back by half to 20,000 acres Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary has pledged to scale back the development [110]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary's team will release plans for a one gigawatt facility detailing its heat, light, noise and water profile [110]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project was originally pitched at up to 9 gigawatts across a 40,000 acre site near the Great Salt Lake [110]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
O'Leary pledged to release plans for a one gigawatt facility detailing its heat, light, noise and water profile Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Robert Davies, physicist at Utah State University
Physicist Robert Davies of Utah State University estimated the project could reach 16 gigawatts at full capacity Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary said 'We have not properly communicated what we do. I have no interest in causing an environmental disaster on my legacy.' Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · J. Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President
Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams publicly called for a 75% reduction in the facility's size Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Yahoo Finance
2,000 jobs: Project backers cited roughly 2,000 permanent positions Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Yahoo Finance
10,000 construction jobs: Project backers cited roughly 10,000 construction jobs Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Robert Davies, Utah State University, Yahoo Finance
16 GW: Physicist Robert Davies of Utah State University estimated the project could reach 16 gigawatts at full capacity Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Yahoo Finance
130,000,000,000 USD: At least 75 data center projects worth roughly $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026 Yahoo Finance national outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The Stratos Project in Box Elder County experienced incredible public pushback earlier this year [111]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Litigation over referendum challenging Box Elder County Commission's vote to consent to MIDA project area has complicated future of Stratos [108]
-
(content date)
Entry
Governor Spencer Cox said at his monthly news conference that the Stratos approval process was not good and that he would push legislation to reform the Military Installation Development Authority, including a larger role for the governor's office. [81]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Two Box Elder County commissioners who voted in favor of the Stratos project also lost their seats utahnewsdispatch.com
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said people need an opportunity to weigh in on data center development and local communities need a better opportunity FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor, Stratos project backer
Kevin O'Leary told The Salt Lake Tribune in July that Stratos backers are full steam ahead on the project Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Gov. Cox said MIDA has had mission creep and needs major reform Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox advocated for changes to MIDA including more involvement from the governor's office FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tim Davis, commissioner, Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Davis stated that the Department of Environmental Quality has not yet begun air quality permitting work for the Box Elder County Stratos project and that once it does, it will take a year just to obtain data on existing air quality before developers can apply Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tim Davis, commissioner, Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Tim Davis said state agencies have been discussing how to coordinate better on data center approvals Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jake Garfield, Utah Office of Energy Development Deputy Director
Jake Garfield, Utah Office of Energy Development Deputy Director, said adopting new water efficient technologies is necessary in a state with constrained water resources NPR Utah | KUER local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor
Cox said he has no problem whatsoever supporting expanded legislation to include closed loop systems that are more water efficient NPR Utah | KUER local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Spencer Cox said the process surrounding the Stratos project was not good and particularly criticized the MIDA process Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor
Cox said the Stratos Project approval process was not good and he has advocated for changes including more involvement from the governor's office FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville, Utah Representative
Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R Taylorsville, expressed concern about Utah giving away significant tax breaks to attract data centers while needing the jobs Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox said he proposed changes to MIDA nearly two years ago in 2025 but they never passed Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor
Cox said local communities need better opportunity to weigh in on data center regulation FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jon Hawkins, Representative, R-Pleasant Grove, chair, Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee
Rep. Jon Hawkins, R Pleasant Grove, chair of the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee, stated that lawmakers have received probably hundreds of emails on data centers and that it is a big concern Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said he would be open to requiring all future data center proposals to use closed loop cooling NPR Utah | KUER local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Mike Schultz, House Speaker
House Speaker Mike Schultz said legislators are united that they do not want a state full of data centers FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said the approval process was not good and called for major reform of the MIDA process NPR Utah | KUER local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tim Davis, commissioner, Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Tim Davis, commissioner of Utah's Department of Environmental Quality, noted that no single state agency can fully approve a data center on its own and showed lawmakers a chart displaying many layers of approvals required Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Spencer Cox called the Stratos data center approval process 'not good' The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox stated MIDA has seen mission creep from its initial responsibilities and goals Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox said he is supportive of major reform to MIDA and will push for that reform Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said the Stratos Project in Box Elder County experienced incredible public pushback earlier this year NPR Utah | KUER local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Gov. Spencer Cox said the Stratos project process was not good and the MIDA process especially needed scrutiny Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Cox said his office should 'play a bigger role' in weighing data center projects The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor
Cox is looking for elected officials to have more of a say in what happens with MIDA projects than they have had in the past NPR Utah | KUER local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, Utah Representative
Rep. Doug Fiefia, R Herriman, expressed concern about who constituents could hold accountable if something falls through the cracks in a data center approval process Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Mike Schultz, House Speaker
House Speaker Mike Schultz said 'One thing that I think we're united on is we do not want a state full of data centers' FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jessica Wiarda, Salt Lake City resident
Jessica Wiarda, Salt Lake City resident, expressed concerns about data center effects on wildlife, especially deer, and about lack of public information on the Stratos project before officials voted on it Utah News Dispatch local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said the process for approving the Stratos Project was not good FOX 13 News Utah local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Salt Wells Fire is burning in Box Elder County's Hansel Valley where Stratos data center and energy campus is planned [112]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Another fire is burning north of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge [112]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The Salt Wells Fire is burning in Box Elder County's Hansel Valley, where the Stratos data center and energy campus is planned [112]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Gov. Spencer Cox said the Stratos project process 'was not good' KSL News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jason Thompson, Utah State Representative
Rep. Jason Thompson is working on a bill to limit MIDA authority to within five miles of military installations KSL News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said he would support legislation to regulate how much heat comes from data centers KSL News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Gov. Cox supports major reforms to the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) KSL News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said he would support legislation requiring data centers to install only closed loop systems that use less water KSL News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tim Davis, Director of Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Tim Davis, head of Utah's Department of Environmental Quality, told lawmakers the state has 'major gaps' in regulating potential impacts of new data centers, particularly heat and noise KSL News local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
O'Leary subsequently agreed to scale back the development to approximately 10,000 acres [8]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams sent O'Leary a letter calling for a 75% reduction in the project's footprint, from 40,000 acres to approximately 10,000 acres [6]
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The original Stratos project proposal covered 40,000 acres and required up to 9 gigawatts of power to operate [116]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
O'Leary told NewsNation that the industry as a whole has screwed up in how it has explained data centers to communities eciks.org local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary, investor
Kevin O'Leary acknowledged communication failures surrounding his proposed Stratos data center in Box Elder County, Utah eciks.org local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · eciks.org
130,000,000,000 USD: The first three months of 2026 saw local opposition block or delay 75 projects worth roughly $130 billion in planned construction eciks.org local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · eciks.org
71 percent: A May Gallup survey found that 71% of Americans oppose building data centers in their local area, including 48% who strongly object eciks.org local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Greg Abbott, Texas Governor
Gov. Greg Abbott recently endorsed an 'audit' of data center development while Texas studies their impact Brookings local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Gina Hinojosa, Texas gubernatorial candidate
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa asserted that Gov. Greg Abbott is too sympathetic to data centers and that there needs better balance between tech and community concerns Brookings local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania Governor
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro shifted his stance from generally supporting data centers to placing restrictions after Republican opposition criticism, recently signing an executive order imposing new rules Brookings local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Sherrod Brown, Ohio Democratic Senate candidate
Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown is running an ad calling incumbent Sen. Jon Husted the 'face of data centers' for supporting tax breaks and economic benefits Brookings local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
A hyperscale data center was proposed in Box Elder County and faced opposition [114]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Opposition to the Stratos data center in Box Elder County has involved protests at the Utah Capitol sltrib.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
MIDA and Box Elder County are tied up in lawsuits connected to Stratos and a failed citizen referendum yahoo.com
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox called the MIDA approval process not good and demanded major reform yahoo.com national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Spencer Cox criticized the Utah Military Installation Development Authority approval of the Stratos data center yahoo.com national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Spencer Cox said the MIDA approval process for Stratos was not good Yahoo national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox criticized MIDA for mission creep in approving large development projects beyond military initiatives Yahoo national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox indicated he wants major reform for MIDA Yahoo national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox said governors should play a bigger role when projects this large are weighed Yahoo national outlet
-
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
approved
The Stratos data center project spans roughly 40,000 acres [115]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
waiting on permits
Stratos data center proposed for Box Elder County [87]
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Also in September 2026: 41 statements, 7 figures from other sources and 14 lines that are not events of their own
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Kevin O'Leary, backed by investor, plans to rename Hansel Valley to Wonder Valley [109]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The Stratos Project is set to take over 20,000 acres of desert brush and farmland in Box Elder County, abutting the Great Salt Lake [109]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor staff writer
Growing cross partisan grassroots opposition to the Stratos data center in Utah demanding agency, fairness, and accountability in development decisions csmonitor.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor staff writer
People from both political parties are aligned on wanting more say about how policymakers make choices about land and how resources are used csmonitor.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Robert Davies, associate professor of physics at Utah State University
The thermal energy coming off the Stratos Project could be equivalent to 23 atomic bombs being deposited on this valley every day in the form of waste heat, potentially raising nighttime temperatures by as much as 12 degrees Fahrenheit The Christian Science Monitor local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Maddie Sullivan, Salt Lake City resident
The project raises significant concerns regarding energy and water usage, potentially requiring billions of gallons annually in a state already facing drought conditions sltrib.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Alex Kellgreen, creator
Alex Kellgreen created an interactive tool called The Elephant in the Desert showing every data center operating in Utah RadioWest | KUER local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor staff writer
Opposition crosses political lines with Republicans and Democrats largely aligned on wanting more say about how policymakers make choices about land and resource use The Christian Science Monitor local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Robert Davies, associate professor of physics at Utah State University
Robert Davies, associate professor of physics at Utah State University, calculated the project's electricity consumption at more than double what the developers suggest The Christian Science Monitor local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Maddie Sullivan, Salt Lake City resident
Communities deserve clear facts about environmental impacts before major projects are approved sltrib.com local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Alex Kellgreen, creator
Many data centers already operate in Utah without public protest RadioWest | KUER local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · The Christian Science Monitor
9 GW: At full build, the Stratos Project estimates it would consume 9 gigawatts of electricity The Christian Science Monitor local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · The Christian Science Monitor
75 percent: 75% of Democrats strongly or somewhat oppose data centers to support AI in their community, and 63% of Republicans say the same The Christian Science Monitor local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, associate professor, University of Southern California
Non investor owned utilities have difficulty handling new data centers and raise prices as a result Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Brenna Williams, co-founder, Box Elder Accountability Referendum
Brenna Williams, co founder of Box Elder Accountability Referendum, says data center economic promises are 'all smoke and mirrors' Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, associate professor, University of Southern California
Hiatt warned data centers coming now, especially larger ones, may have impact on power prices wholesale Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Donald Trump, President
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social saying data centers will serve economic self interest and national security, telling supporters to 'let Data Reign' or risk being 'backwards and poor' The Nation national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Brenna Williams, Box Elder Accountability Referendum cofounder
Brenna Williams, cofounder of Box Elder Accountability Referendum, says economic benefits are 'all smoke and mirrors' Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Chris Lehmann, The Nation
The article describes data center opposition as rooted in opposition to water rationing, spikes in electrical bills, and resource plunder affecting quality of life The Nation national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Ryan Cooper, The American Prospect
Ryan Cooper of The American Prospect characterizes the data center rollout as reflective of Silicon Valley arrogance by billionaires promoting AI as revolutionary and requiring trillions in spending The Nation national outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Maddy Oritt, director of public finance research, University of Utah
Maddy Oritt, University of Utah director of public finance research, says property tax rates will become volatile as equipment depreciates Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, associate professor, University of Southern California
Shon Hiatt said he would expect larger data centers coming in now to have an impact on power prices wholesale Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, associate professor, University of Southern California
Shon Hiatt, associate professor at USC, found investor owned utilities like Rocky Mountain Power experienced no effect on power prices from data center entry from 2020 to 2025 Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, associate professor, University of Southern California
Shon Hiatt, University of Southern California, found investor owned utilities like Rocky Mountain Power experienced no effect on power prices from data center entry 2020 to 2025 Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Donald Trump, President
Trump warned that if Americans 'kill the Golden Goose' on data centers, 'you will have only yourselves to blame' and that China is happy about anti data center sentiment The Nation national outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Deseret News
344,000,000 dollars: Lance Soffe, senior vice president of economic growth, Governor's Office of Economic Development, projected 344 million dollars in state revenue and 333 million dollars in wages for Millard County from Creekstone Energy Project data center Deseret News local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Deseret News
1,000,000,000 dollars: Utah study found data center personal property valuation drops from 1 billion dollars to 620 million dollars after first year, to 70 million dollars by fifth year Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Ford Copple, Sutherland Institute tech policy analyst
Both colocation and hyperscale data centers bring short- to medium term, high paying, skilled labor construction jobs KUTV local outlet
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(said in the source itself)
Statement · Ford Copple, Sutherland Institute tech policy analyst
The Sutherland Institute examined employment tied to data center development KUTV local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Ford Copple, Sutherland Institute tech policy analyst
Larger hyperscale facilities generally support more permanent workers, particularly when they operate advanced computing equipment or include their own power generation infrastructure KUTV local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · TRG Datacenters
A TRG Datacenters study found that Virginia is the state best positioned to facilitate AI infrastructure growth through data centers Cache Valley Daily local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Ford Copple, tech policy analyst, Sutherland Institute
Ford Copple, tech policy analyst at Sutherland Institute, published report entitled Building a Human Centered Digital Future: Data Center Job Creation Cache Valley Daily local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Sutherland Institute
Sutherland Institute released report on data center economic benefits amid backlash over proposed projects kjzz.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
The Stratos data center will be built in Box Elder County, Utah [87]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, University of Southern California associate professor
Shon Hiatt, associate professor at University of Southern California, told the Utah Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee on August 19, 2026 that investor owned utilities like Rocky Mountain Power experienced no effect on power prices from data center entry from 2020 to 2025 KSL local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Brenna Williams, Box Elder Accountability Referendum cofounder
Brenna Williams, cofounder of Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR), says the promises of economic advances from data centers are all smoke and mirrors KSL local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Shon Hiatt, University of Southern California associate professor
Non investor owned utilities raise prices when data centers enter their service areas KSL local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Mark Shepherd, Clearfield Mayor
Clearfield Mayor Mark Shepherd said data centers are not listed as approved or acceptable in any city zone, so city has no way to approve or deny a proposal news.google.com local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project facing backlash from residents of Utah county where it is being built [120]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project could become the biggest data center campus in the United States [120]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos project plans call for a complex of data centers on 20,000 acres in Hansel Valley with up to 9.5 gigawatts of power generating capacity [119]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County commissioners passed a moratorium on data center development ksl.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL
20,000 acres: Stratos project plans call for a complex of data centers on 20,000 acres in Hansel Valley KSL local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Stratos Project introduced in Box Elder County near Great Salt Lake [107]
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Jay Evensen, opinion editor
Stuart Adams lost primary election at least in part because of support for data center Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · X global government affairs
Chinese bots posted claims that AI data centers drive up household electricity prices and strain the grid Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · X global government affairs
X identified bot farm of approximately 200,000 Chinese accounts with 200 posting about data center concerns in August 2026 Deseret News local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Deseret News
53 percent: Utah poll by Deseret News and Hinckley Institute conducted May 2026 found 53 percent of Utah voters opposing Box Elder project Deseret News local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Deseret News
48 count: Utah has 48 operating data centers Deseret News local outlet
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Box Elder Accountability Referendum filed appeal of county denial, pending before state judge [83]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Entry
Box Elder County denied referendum petition by Box Elder Accountability Referendum [83]
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
In the June primary election, voters removed two of the Box Elder County commissioners kuer.org
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Morning Consult
Utah poll reached 744 registered voters from Sept. 10 to Sept. 15 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Gov. Spencer Cox has called on the federal government to create more regulatory policy on AI, though the state is considering creating additional legislation itself Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Aaron Starks, CEO and president of 47G
Aaron Starks said the four major areas of AI capability are chips, data centers, electricity and talent Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Morning Consult
National poll was fielded among 2,102 registered U.S. voters from Sept. 10 to Sept. 14 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points Deseret News local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Zach Boyd, director of the Office of Artificial Intelligence for the State of Utah
Zach Boyd said the U.S. does have a lead over China in AI, depending on how you measure the race, and the nation should be able to maintain it for some time Deseret News local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Kevin O'Leary filed response to defamation lawsuit filed in July by Alliance for a Better Utah and Elevate Strategies. ksl.com
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Box Elder County citizens group filed lawsuit to pursue referendum on Stratos project utahnewsdispatch.com
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(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Kevin O'Leary and Fox News filed motion to dismiss defamation lawsuit in U.S. District Court utahnewsdispatch.com
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Tom Huckin, letter writer
Tom Huckin, letter writer, opposes planned Box Elder County data center as hastening environmental destruction The Salt Lake Tribune local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Kevin O'Leary
Kevin O'Leary and Fox News seek dismissal of defamation lawsuit from Stratos opponents; argue statements about Chinese funding connections were protected speech sltrib.com local outlet
-
-
Also in October 2026: 6 statements, 4 figures from other sources and 1 line that is not an event of its own
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Decision · Box Elder County (county)
Three lawsuits related to project are pending, with opponents seeking reversal of county decision and challenging constitutionality of actions allowing project to proceed. ksl.com
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO, O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital, stated that public sentiment matters and the Box Elder County project includes elements to address public concerns. KSL local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, CEO, O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian stated that project personnel received threats of violence driven by misinformation. KSL local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Kylie Kremer, senior advisor, Humans First
Kylie Kremer, senior advisor for Humans First, stated that small towns lack the monetary backing to fight data center development. KSL local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Cathy Latham, director of Humans First in Texas
Cathy Latham stated people across the country are tired of not being part of data center planning discussions. KSL local outlet
-
(content date; reported from elsewhere)
Statement · Humans First / Data Center Revolt tour
Humans First conducted the 29th stop of its nationwide Data Center Revolt tour in Brigham City on October 1, 2026, with the tour starting in Texas on September 12. KSL local outlet
-
(said in the source itself)
Statement · Paul Palandjian, chief executive officer and cofounder of O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian said 'The project is not on hold,' and that O'Leary Digital is in early design and engineering of the project's infrastructure, gas supply and power generation, with engineering, environmental and economic impact studies underway under guidelines set by the state of Utah and the Military Installation Development Authority. KSL local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL.com
900,000 gallons a day: At full buildout, project will consume under 900000 gallons of water a day on average after recycling. KSL.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL.com
9 GW: Total project power generating capacity over long haul could be up to 9 gigawatts. KSL.com local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital, KSL
1.5 GW: The first phase of power generation for the Stratos Project will be limited to 1.5 gigawatts, as O'Leary Digital's chief executive described the updated plans. (First phase of power generation) KSL local outlet
-
(source date; the content gives no date of its own)
Figure · KSL.com
1.5 GW: First phase of power generation element limited to 1.5 gigawatts. KSL.com local outlet
-
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