There have been some interesting developments in the data center saga. The way the state government ram rodded this project and tone deaf messaging really peeved the locals.
After initially claiming less oversight was needed, Gov. Spencer Cox signed an executive order calling for greater state oversight of data center construction, and promised similar legislation in the fall.
Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams and head of MIDI who greenlit the whole thing, folded like a wet blanket and sent a letter to Kevin O’Leary demanding a 75% reduction of the project’s footprint, forcing it down from 40,000 acres to 10,000 acres.
Kevin O’Leary continues to alienate the locals by claiming they are paid operatives of the Chinese government.
Polls show that only 30% of Utahns support the data center. Terrible result for a normally pro-business state.
Thing is, if they had the water issue figured out, this is not a bad place for a data center because it is out in the middle of nowhere. Box Elder County is where the solid rocket boosters for the shuttle were built (now being used for Artemis). It is remote enough you can test rocket motors and you won’t bother anybody.