Utah Issues New Data Center Development Order

Utah is moving forward with a proposed Box Elder County data center while limiting initial approvals to a facility of up to 1.

5 gigawatts and fewer than 2,000 acres, rather than immediately authorizing the potential 7.5-to-9-gigawatt, 40,000-acre development. Gov. Spencer Cox has tied future approvals to public water reporting, cooling standards, emissions and power requirements, and protections for the Great Salt Lake and Utah electricity customers. The project has received key state and county approvals, but formal air permitting has not begun, a related water-rights application was withdrawn, and political scrutiny remains over nearby land owned by House Speaker Mike Schultz.