"We pissed off a lot of people": Giant data center plan cut 50% amid protests
Article excerpt
A major data center developer has slashed its project size by half after facing sustained community opposition. The developer, who described feeling "beaten up" by protests, said it had "no choice" but to downsize. The reduction came after what appears to be significant local pushback over environmental, infrastructure, or quality-of-life concerns, though specifics on the protesters' grievances aren't detailed in the headline. The move reflects growing tension between tech infrastructure demands and neighborhood resistance, a pattern emerging across multiple regions as communities grapple with the footprint of AI and computing expansion.
One of the world's biggest data center projects was designed to be nearly three times the size of Manhattan, stretching across multiple Utah sites. But intense local backlash in Box Elder County has now pushed the developer to cut the project plans in half before construction starts.
Residents' top concern was the Stratos data center project draining local waters, and they were willing to pay to protect them, most especially the vulnerable Great Salt Lake. Many locals paid a $15 fee to register comments to block the transfer of 1,900 acre-feet of water from a ranch to the hyperscale data center. Other concerns include electricity bills rising and potential risks to air quality, local wildlife, and land.
Venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary, chair of O'Leary Digital and Shark Tank investor, is behind the construction of the project. He told a local ABC affiliate that he regrets not working with state officials to be more transparent about the project from the beginning.
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