What was said about data centers in Utah
338 statements from 127 speakers, grouped by who spoke. Each appears as said, with the date and the source. No verdict is attached.
From May 30, 2024 to October 3, 2026. Statements from every state are on Statements.
Data center companies 17
Developers, operators and builders of data centers and the technology companies that fill them, speaking through their staff and spokespeople. Every state.
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in a written statement to NPR
Valar Atomics said 'No construction begins before permits and approvals,' and that it is committed to public engagement on the project.
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head of commercial development at Valar Atomics
Cory Gardner said 'America stands no chance against our adversaries without energy abundance,' and that Valar Atomics believes it should start in Utah.
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Meta
Campus annual water use will be less than typical golf course in region
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Meta
New buildings will use closed loop liquid cooling system with dry cooling requiring no water during normal operations
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X global government affairs
Chinese bots posted claims that AI data centers drive up household electricity prices and strain the grid
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X global government affairs
X identified bot farm of approximately 200,000 Chinese accounts with 200 posting about data center concerns in August 2026
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Creekstone Energy has invented technology claimed to create vastly more water than the Delta Gigasite campus consumes
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A TRG Datacenters study found that Virginia is the state best positioned to facilitate AI infrastructure growth through data centers
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Volition company officials
Volition said they may seek a new community to build their data center due to the continued delays in Spanish Fork
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Volition executives stated they would not be drawing off the local power grid or emitting excess heat, noise, and air pollution
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Volition proposed to contribute at least $500,000 annually to a community fund for addiction recovery, food security and housing support
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Volition officials
Volition's plan includes no diesel generation, a dry cooled system, and a noise limit
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Volition officials stated their data center will not strain local resources due to being self powered, will be in an existing building, and will have reduced emissions and increased property tax revenue
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Volition officials stated their data center will not strain local resources due to being self powered, will have no diesel generation, is dry cooled, and has noise limits
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director of market insights, Associated General Contractors of America
Macrina Wilkins of Associated General Contractors of America said data center construction jobs might max at 10,000 but broader economic models include indirect and induced effects
Government 118
Officials in office, lawmakers, regulators, public agencies and courts, federal, state, tribal and local. Every state.
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Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader, said Republicans offered only a toothless messaging bill and that voluntary pledges do not work.
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Spanish Fork Mayor Mike Mendenhall said the council has listened to people's concerns, including the amount of water a data center requires.
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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
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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
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Carbon County commissioner
Tony Martines said nuclear power fits the long range plans of Carbon County, an energy producing community, adding 'We have the workforce. We have the space. We have all the infrastructure.'
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Larry Jensen said 'the Carbon County commissioners are committed to allowing these things to move forward,' even with pushback from some residents, and that the silent majority is who the commissioners represent.
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chair of the Trust Lands Administration board
Mike Nelson said of the Valar Atomics lease, 'We weren't always sure what to ask about,' because the deal was a first for the board.
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Mark Shepherd, Clearfield Mayor, voted in April for measures to permit a controversial data center proposal in Box Elder County
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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
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Ben Hart
Utah Inland Port Authority will not move forward with data centers until Tooele County has proper permitting, regulatory, and zoning process in place
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Ben Hart
Utah Inland Port Authority stated they are not offering tax incentives for data centers and have no official plans for them in project areas
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director, Utah Division of Air Quality
Bryce Bird said EPA air quality standards would remain and projects must use best available control technology
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director, Utah Division of Air Quality
Bryce Bird, director of Utah Division of Air Quality, said Utah would not change public comment requirements
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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'
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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
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Spanish Fork Mayor
Mayor Mike Mendenhall said on social media he thought the Volition proposal could be good for the city
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Mayor Mike Mendenhall publicly backed Volition Industries' $1 billion data center proposal for the former Fingerhut warehouse site
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R-Ogden, Utah Representative
Rep. Jill Koford, R Ogden, stated that the scale and rapid growth of data center investment raise legitimate questions about whether the current framework and available data remain adequate
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Mona City leaders
Mona City government said they had not received any formal data center application or development requests and have not made a commitment of water, sewer, or electricity for this data center
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West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton said data centers help 'keep the taxes low for our residents and provide the services that our residents desperately need'
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox criticized MIDA for mission creep in approving large development projects beyond military initiatives
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Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians opposes the proposal citing groundwater depletion and contamination risks
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Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians
Skull Valley Band sent letter of opposition to Gov. Spencer Cox but did not receive response
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Utah Governor
Spencer Cox criticized the Utah Military Installation Development Authority approval of the Stratos data center
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Mike Mendenhall, Mayor, Spanish Fork City
Called the Volition proposal an opportunity for the city and said it warrants moving forward to see if a private business can deliver on what it proposes, with guard rails in place.
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Utah State Representative
Rep. Jason Thompson is working on a bill to limit MIDA authority to within five miles of military installations
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said he would support legislation to regulate how much heat comes from data centers
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Gov. Cox supports major reforms to the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA)
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said he would support legislation requiring data centers to install only closed loop systems that use less water
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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
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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
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Gov. Cox said MIDA has had mission creep and needs major reform
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox advocated for changes to MIDA including more involvement from the governor's office
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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
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commissioner, Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Tim Davis said state agencies have been discussing how to coordinate better on data center approvals
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Jake Garfield, Utah Office of Energy Development Deputy Director, said adopting new water efficient technologies is necessary in a state with constrained water resources
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Utah representative
Rep. Paul Cutler said smaller data centers don't have the outsize impact that the 100 megawatt plus data centers do
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Spencer Cox, Governor
Cox said he has no problem whatsoever supporting expanded legislation to include closed loop systems that are more water efficient
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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
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox said he proposed changes to MIDA nearly two years ago in 2025 but they never passed
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said he would be open to requiring all future data center proposals to use closed loop cooling
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House Speaker Mike Schultz said legislators are united that they do not want a state full of data centers
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Larry Jensen, speaking for the three Carbon County commissioners, told the Trust Lands Administration board that the Valar Atomics project is critical to rebuilding the county's industrial valuation and easing the property tax burden that shifted onto residents as local coal production collapsed, as the board's minutes record it.
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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
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deputy director of the Utah Office of Energy Development
Jake Garfield told the Trust Lands Administration board that Valar Atomics has been a strong partner as a tenant at the San Rafael Energy Lab, and that small modular reactors offer a path for data centers to grow without adding air emissions or heavy water use, as the board's minutes record it.
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox stated MIDA has seen mission creep from its initial responsibilities and goals
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Cox said he is supportive of major reform to MIDA and will push for that reform
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Cox said the Stratos Project in Box Elder County experienced incredible public pushback earlier this year
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Cox said his office should 'play a bigger role' in weighing data center projects
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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
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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
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City Community Development Director Dave Anderson stated the city has done more vetting on this amendment than on anything else
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Sen. McCay said he does not feel that property tax should be used as much to incentivize data centers
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City Councilman
Councilman Shane Marshall emphasized that getting guardrails right is important
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City Councilman
Councilman Kevin Oyler stated he takes the issue seriously and is doing his homework despite having many questions
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Sen. McCay said Utah is ahead of most of the country in data center policy
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Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams publicly called for a 75% reduction in the facility's size
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Rep. Hawkins said lawmakers are discussing current state policy on data centers and how to define data centers moving forward
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Utah officials and investors at Beehive Energy Alliance
Workforce shortages, not funding or ideas, may be the real constraint on energy project delivery in Utah
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After public outcry, Utah Senate President Stuart Adams called on O'Leary to cut the scale by 75 percent
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Tooele County Assistant County Manager
Brittany Lopez, Assistant County Manager, said the county is establishing land use to ensure responsible planning and smart growth if data centers are proposed
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State Representative, Utah House
State Rep. Jill Koford sponsored the bill to provide transparency and reporting mechanism for data centers
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Utah Military Installation Development Authority
Utah's Military Installation Development Authority said it is on pause, awaiting permit requests for the Stratos project
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state representative
Rep. Paul Cutler said artificial intelligence has changed data center size, impact and policy questions, and that lawmakers need to think about things differently.
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Ben Hart
Utah Inland Port Authority fully supports the Tooele County data center moratorium
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Cox committed to slowing down data center permits and requiring careful evaluation of environmental impacts
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Tooele commissioners
The proposed ordinance is about creating rules before a company submits a proposal, not in relation to any specific data center or project
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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
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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
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Utah Republican Senator
Sen. John Curtis said he is pursuing federal standards to help mitigate distrust around data center projects
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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
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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
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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
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Utah Senate President Stuart Adams announces call for Stratos Project to be scaled back by 75 percent
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Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams called for 75 percent reduction to Box Elder data center project
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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
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Stuart Adams, Utah Senate President, called for 75% reduction in Stratos project area from 40,000 acres to 10,000 acres
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Utah Senate President
Adams cited public feedback and further review as reasons for calling for the 75% reduction
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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
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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
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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
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Spencer Cox, Utah Governor
Governor Cox said future decisions like this should involve his office and the Legislature
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Utah Governor
Governor Spencer Cox acknowledged that the rollout of the controversial Stratos data center project in Box Elder County was not handled well
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Tim Davis, Utah Department of Environmental Quality commissioner, estimated it could take two years for Stratos to receive necessary state approvals
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Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox stated taking time does not make things better or safer
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Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox directed the Department of Natural Resources to ensure environmentally sensitive cooling technology is used
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Governor of Utah
Governor Spencer Cox acknowledged that project opponents have 'real concerns' after initially dismissing their criticism
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Utah Military Installation Development Authority stated the Stratos Project aligns with long term national defense, energy resilience, and economic development goals
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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
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Box Elder County Commissioner Tyler Vincent said today's decision is just the beginning of the oversight process
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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
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Cox stated that concerns about water and power use contain incorrect information and the state will not allow centers to take all power or increase utility rates.
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Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah
Governor Cox stated the project is built for this use, is right next to a natural gas pipeline so they can build their own energy, and is not next to somebody's house.
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The project would not include a long term significant employment base according to West Jordan city manager
Chief executives 27
Chief executives, presidents, founders and chairs of companies, in technology, data centers, power and elsewhere. Every state.
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Jeff Chavez, CEO of Volition, said the company's closed loop cooling system uses about the amount of water equivalent to one or two Utah households.
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CEO and president of 47G
Aaron Starks said the four major areas of AI capability are chips, data centers, electricity and talent
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Ray Conley, CEO of Creekstone Energy
GIGAWATER technology aims to capture water vapor from natural gas combustion and convert it into usable water.
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Ray Conley, Creekstone Energy CEO
Water capture technology remains in research and testing stage and has not yet been proven
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Jeff Chavez, Volition CEO
Volition claims its data center would use natural gas powered fuel cells producing substantially lower emissions and heat and requiring significantly less water than traditional data centers
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Volition CEO
CEO Jeff Chavez previously sought to build a 30 to-40 megawatt fuel cell powered data center in nearby Provo before pivoting to Spanish Fork
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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
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Jeff Chavez, CEO of Volition
Volition CEO said their closed loop cooling system would only need about two Utah households' worth of water to fill
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Volition CEO Jeff Chavez stated the company generates their own power using natural gas powered fuel cells that do not connect to the existing power grid
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CEO, Volition
Volition CEO Jeff Chavez said the proposed facility would use two households' worth of water to fill when first starting operations, then only one household's worth annually
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Jeff Chavez, CEO, Volition
Volition said cooling systems are located indoors to mitigate noise impacts
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CEO of Volition
Volition CEO Jeff Chavez said their data center project would generate about 250 megawatts of power and use an existing distribution center of about 28 acres
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Jeff Chavez, Volition CEO
Volition plans to create a community fund contributing at least $500,000 per year for addiction recovery, food security, housing support and other community needs
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Jeff Chavez, Volition CEO, stated data center developers should reuse existing infrastructure instead of buying thousands of acres
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Jeff Chavez, CEO, Volition Industries
Facility would generate its own power with natural gas fuel cells, never connect to the grid, use closed loop cooling with a one time 500,000 gal fill and 250,000 gal per year, and request no tax breaks.
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Jeff Chavez
Volition's data centers produce zero draw on Spanish Fork's municipal power grid and use no local utility power
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Jeff Chavez, Volition
The fuel cell technology generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction with no combustion, flame, or fumes
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Jeff Chavez
Volition is not requesting any additional water rights from the city
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Jeff Chavez
Volition will include enforceable covenants in the development agreement covering water caps, noise limits, no grid connection, and no diesel
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Jeff Chavez
Volition commits to providing more than 500,000 dollars per year in direct community contributions and educational partnerships
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Jeff Chavez, Volition
Converting the existing industrial building to a data center reduces traffic from 3,500 trucks per month to 100-200 employee car trips per day with zero heavy truck traffic
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Jeff Chavez
Volition received a New Minor Source air quality permit approval from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Investors and finance 55
Investors, funds, banks and the firms that rate and finance data centers. Every state.
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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.
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CEO, O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian stated that project personnel received threats of violence driven by misinformation.
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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.
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Kevin O'Leary and Fox News seek dismissal of defamation lawsuit from Stratos opponents; argue statements about Chinese funding connections were protected speech
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investor
O'Leary told NewsNation that the industry as a whole has screwed up in how it has explained data centers to communities
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investor
Kevin O'Leary acknowledged communication failures surrounding his proposed Stratos data center in Box Elder County, Utah
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developer
O'Leary said 'I have no interest in causing an environmental disaster on my legacy. That's never going to happen.'
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developer
O'Leary said he would produce plans for a one GB facility showing heat profile, light, noise and water use
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Stratos project developer
O'Leary said the data center industry has not communicated what it does to communities
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developer
O'Leary said he intends to submit permit applications
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developer
O'Leary confirmed 'Am I going to build this data center? The answer is yes.'
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Stratos project developer
Kevin O'Leary said his company screwed up in communicating the Stratos project
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investor
O'Leary called criticisms of Project Stratos misinformation.
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Kevin O'Leary, investor and Shark Tank star, backs Project Stratos AI data center proposal.
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developer
Kevin O'Leary said work on the Stratos data center project is 'full steam ahead'
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CEO of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said Stratos will not be a net negative to the Great Salt Lake
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CEO of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said the data center will cool by recirculating water with little to no ongoing water use
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Paul Palandjian, O'Leary Digital CEO, states Stratos will use no more than 1,800 acre feet of water annually at full scale
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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
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investor
O'Leary said the project will not be the largest data center in the world
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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
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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
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investor
Kevin O'Leary told Senate President J. Stuart Adams the Stratos project will be scaled back by cutting thousands of acres
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investor
O'Leary agreed to dedicate any excess water to the Great Salt Lake
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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
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entrepreneur
Kevin O'Leary says he is not walking away from Utah data center project
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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
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CEO, O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said data center would use less water than current users (ranchers and farmers) by tapping into existing water rights
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CEO, O'Leary Digital
Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital, said requests for more study of environmental impacts are welcome and reasonable
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investor
Kevin O'Leary stated that ninety percent of the protesters against the data center project were bused in from out of state
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CEO, O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said every single landowner in the MIDA project zone has signed a letter of support
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Chairman, O'Leary Digital
O'Leary claimed money from Alliance for a Better Utah moved through Arabella Advisors before tracing back to China
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Chairman, O'Leary Digital
Kevin O'Leary said he would release IRS Form 990 documents supporting allegations that opposition groups have ties to China
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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
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investor
Kevin O'Leary claimed China built four hundred gigawatts of new power capacity over twenty four months, with much powering AI data centers
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O'Leary Digital
Kevin O'Leary accused opponents of being proxies for the Chinese government in an interview with Fox News
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investor
Kevin O'Leary claimed the Stratos Project could generate 10,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs
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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
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Kevin O'Leary, developer, stated sustainability is at the heart of proposals regarding air quality, water use, heat and noise pollution
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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
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CEO and co-founder of O'Leary Digital
Palandjian said Kevin O'Leary was an environmental studies major and cares deeply about environmental issues
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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
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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
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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
Candidates and campaigns 2
People running for office, their campaigns and their parties. A candidate who does not hold the office is not an official. Every state.
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Carbon County resident and unaffiliated candidate for the county commission
Cheryl Lupo said 'People are up in arms' over the data centers planned in Carbon County, because, she said, residents are not being heard.
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Representative, Republican from Ogden
Rep. Jill Koford stated the state should examine the data center tax exemption issue more closely, noting the scale and rapid growth of data center investment raise legitimate questions
Business groups and unions 1
Chambers of commerce, trade associations and labor unions. Every state.
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Union electricians welcome data center boom
Advocates and residents 40
Advocacy and community groups on every side, residents, neighbors and people speaking at public meetings. Every state.
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senior advisor, Humans First
Kylie Kremer, senior advisor for Humans First, stated that small towns lack the monetary backing to fight data center development.
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director of Humans First in Texas
Cathy Latham stated people across the country are tired of not being part of data center planning discussions.
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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.
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executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah
Lexi Tuddenham said the project raises larger questions about federal land, and that nuclear waste storage, nuclear development and data centers on public land would have 'tremendous implications for how public lands are used.'
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executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah
Lexi Tuddenham said 'We have a right to know as citizens what is going on, not just with our state lands, but also with our federal lands.'
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wildlands director at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
Neal Clark said 'It's concerning to see that the Trump administration, with the support of the state of Utah, is pushing this forward on significant acreage of public lands.'
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Tom Huckin, letter writer, opposes planned Box Elder County data center as hastening environmental destruction
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Utah residents
Residents argued the county didn't provide adequate and actual notice of the permit decision.
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Mona residents
Residents claim the county did not provide adequate and actual notice of the permit decision
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Ivan Weber, letter writer
Data centers are described as proliferating throughout the nation at high velocity and built in deserts, ghettos, wetlands without clear understanding of purpose, economic impacts or life expectancy.
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Letter writer Ivan Weber opposes data centers being built without permits, calling for permit review and oversight.
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Mona residents
Residents say no formal notice letters were sent to neighbors within 1,000 feet of the data center site, unlike standard zoning changes which require such notice.
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unnamed resident, Tooele County
Tooele residents are concerned about water supply impacts from a data center near the local aquifer
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Tooele residents expressed concerns that tax dollars should not subsidize data center development that they believe harms the community.
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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'
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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
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Maddie Sullivan, Salt Lake City resident
Communities deserve clear facts about environmental impacts before major projects are approved
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Spanish Fork resident
Residents opposed the proposal, with Tom Thomas stating residents deserve more than unsubstantiated promises and citing data centers' documented track record of water contamination, air pollution, and noise pollution
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Spanish Fork resident voiced concern about proper hard lined bylaws to ensure company cannot override community protections if acquired by larger corporation
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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
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Spanish Fork resident
Teresa Pierce, resident near Fingerhut distribution center, expressed concern about noise, emissions impact
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Property owner John Bankhead stated he has received many offers for the warehouse site and considers Volition a better option than a distribution center that would increase truck traffic
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Unnamed resident
Residents noted that the proposed data center location is in the heart of the town, not on the outskirts
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Spanish Fork residents
Residents expressed concerns over noise pollution, water resource impacts, location over a fault line, and whether the facility would be a test site
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Mapleton resident identified as Crosby
A resident stated that neighborhoods are not interested in being a test site for Volition's unproven technology
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Teresa Pierce, Spanish Fork resident, expressed concern that data centers should not be built in residential backyards regardless of need
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Mapleton resident identified as Crosby
Residents expressed concerns that Volition has not provided sufficient data or evidence to support claims of minimal community impact
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Unnamed resident
A resident raised concerns that the data center location is over a fault line and questioned earthquake safety
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Resident Sarah Stevenson pleaded with the council to listen to residents' concerns, not just hear them
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Unnamed resident
A resident stated that data centers have promised minimal water use then sued for more water access
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Tooele County residents voiced opposition to a potential data center, urging decision makers to do the right thing.
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Dr. Brian Moench, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, called for a one year moratorium on data centers throughout the state
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Tooele County resident
Amy Lawson said residents want to preserve Tooele County's quiet, peace, and land for future generations
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unnamed resident
It is much easier to prevent data centers from being built than to hold them accountable later.
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unnamed resident
There are deep concerns about water usage with data center projects.
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Elizabeth Hutchings of Alliance for a Better Utah said the group is funded by grassroots donors and Utahns
Researchers and analysts 40
Universities, research institutes, think tanks, pollsters, economists and consultants. Every state.
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Jessica Schad, Professor, Utah State University School of Social Sciences
Utah State University launched an initiative called Data Center Development in Utah to broaden understanding about data centers
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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
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head of research at Bitcoin Policy Institute
Sam Lyman stated data center dividends could provide annual payments between $4,500 and $8,900 per household
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Bitcoin Policy Institute proposed data center dividends model returning part of property tax revenue to households
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Shon Hiatt, University of Southern California associate professor
Non investor owned utilities raise prices when data centers enter their service areas
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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
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Sutherland Institute released report on data center economic benefits amid backlash over proposed projects
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Ford Copple, Sutherland Institute tech policy analyst
Both colocation and hyperscale data centers bring short- to medium term, high paying, skilled labor construction jobs
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Ford Copple, Sutherland Institute tech policy analyst
The Sutherland Institute examined employment tied to data center development
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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
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Shon Hiatt, associate professor, University of Southern California
Non investor owned utilities have difficulty handling new data centers and raise prices as a result
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associate professor, University of Southern California
Hiatt warned data centers coming now, especially larger ones, may have impact on power prices wholesale
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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
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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
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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
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Robert Davies, associate professor of physics at Utah State University, calculated the project's electricity consumption at more than double what the developers suggest
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analyst, Libertas Institute
Kristian Fors, analyst with Libertas Institute, stated 'You can't manage what you can't measure' and stressed the need for transparency and accountability in government policy
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Kasia Tarczynska, who authored the Good Jobs First report, said states created tax exemptions based on smaller scale data centers from 10 to 15 years ago but the industry has changed dramatically due to artificial intelligence deployment
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Peak opposition to nuclear power plants in Gallup surveys was 63 percent
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Gallup survey in May 2026 found 71 percent of Americans oppose construction of new data centers in their communities to support AI industry
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physicist at Utah State University
Physicist Robert Davies of Utah State University estimated the project could reach 16 gigawatts at full capacity
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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
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Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute director of public finance research
Maddy Oritt, director of public finance research at Gardner Institute, said careful project specific analysis can help communities maximize benefits of data center investment while minimizing unintended tax shifts
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Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute researchers
New data center facilities would likely provide initial property tax relief through increased property valuation
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Research fellow Rebecca Kilberg was one of three Aspen Institute fellows who produced the report that led to the water transparency law
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Maddy Oritt, director of public finance research at Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
Data centers present both opportunities and challenges for Utah's property tax system
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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
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Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute researchers
Personal property taxes from data centers could create a boomerang or yo yo effect of initial tax decreases followed by offsetting future increases
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BYU civil engineering professor
Sowby said the approval process for data centers depends largely on whether a project is proposed within city limits, outside incorporated areas, or involving state and federal agencies.
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BYU civil engineering professor Robert Sowby stated there is no single person or agency responsible for approving a large scale data center.
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Feras Batarseh, Virginia Tech AI lab director, expresses skepticism that available technologies will save as much water as O'Leary team claims
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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
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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
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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
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Analysis by physics professor Dr. Rob Davies indicates the Stratos data center could release heat equivalent to twenty three atomic bombs daily
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Jesse Harrison, local IT expert, stated that many data center promises get broken repeatedly based on historical patterns
Other voices 38
Journalists, lawyers, former officials, and speakers the source describes in words that name none of the groups above. Every state.
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Jay Evensen, opinion editor
Stuart Adams lost primary election at least in part because of support for data center
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unnamed news anchor, paraphrasing state officials
Tooele County is not ready for the data center, according to state officials.
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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
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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
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Scott McKane, FOX 13 News reporter
Volition would create high paying jobs and generate millions in local tax revenue
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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
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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
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creator
Alex Kellgreen created an interactive tool called The Elephant in the Desert showing every data center operating in Utah
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Alex Kellgreen, creator
Many data centers already operate in Utah without public protest
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opinion writer
Author Allyson Flake Matsoso expresses concerns about data centers changing small town America, citing impacts like noise, traffic, heat and light pollution
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Heatmap / Robinson Meyer
Data centers are 63 points underwater with rural voters
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Heatmap / Robinson Meyer
Heatmap survey found data centers are 43 points underwater with Republicans, 65 points underwater with independents, and 75 points underwater with Democrats
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commentary author, citing China policy
China planning to power data centers with at least 80 percent clean energy by 2030
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Representative, R-Taylorsville
Rep. Jim Dunnigan stated that Utah gives away significant tax breaks to attract data centers
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Representative, R-Herriman
Rep. Doug Fiefia expressed concerns about who constituents should hold accountable when multiple agencies are involved in data center approvals
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Representative
Rep. Peck toured a South Jordan facility using air and fans for cooling instead of water
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Representative
Rep. Nicholeen Peck noted volatility in property tax revenue due to depreciation of assets within data centers
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Representative
Rep. Jim Dunnigan raised concerns about air quality and airshed impacts from data centers
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Jack Urquhart, Spanish Fork communications manager, explained the municipal code amendment is needed because the developer proposes generating its own power
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Allen Westmind
Computer chips transform electricity into heat, creating a large thermal output that should be regulated as heavy industrial use
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Dan Davis
The proposed data center facility is a good reuse of the existing building and resolves water and heat concerns
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Rod Yelm
Transparency from the developer and rigorous questioning by the planning commission changed resident sentiment toward supporting the project
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Megan Banks
Data centers pose environmental and fire concerns and benefit wealthy entities at the expense of local residents
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Carla Shade
Enforceable contractual guardrails and community benefit agreements are necessary to protect clean air and water for future data center projects
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Dave Anderson
Volition Industries proposes a data center inside Spanish Fork City powered entirely on site without connection to the city electric grid
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Paul Dayton
The proposed 250 megawatt facility would produce more than double the peak power draw of the entire city of Spanish Fork
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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
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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.
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Tina Cannon
Most members of the public were unaware of MIDA until the Box Elder County data center project
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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
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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
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Izzy Hodges
Residents in Crawford, Texas face twenty four seven artificial daylight and constant mechanical noise due to a nearby AI data center
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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
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Davy Musser
No Environmental Impact Statement or official research on exact water and power demands for the Stratos Project has been published
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Utah Representative
Utah Rep. Doug Fiefia stated Utah should prioritize data centers using less water and require clear reporting
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unnamed narrator
Traditional data centers require massive grid power and two to four years of utility infrastructure upgrades
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unnamed narrator
Volition facilities deploy in six to nine months using on site fuel cell electricity generation
The group comes from the words the source gives for the speaker; how the groups are read. Every statement on the record is in CSV and JSON, with its group and its state.
