Utah Voters Give Senate President Who Supported Giant Data Center The Heave Ho

Utah voters are pushing back on a proposed Stratos data center after high-profile support from Kevin O’Leary, who said it could create thousands of jobs and generate millions in revenue for local governments while drawing on its own power supply. According to reporting cited in the article, the project would require 9 gigawatts of power—roughly twice what Utah’s entire state uses, using the comparison provided. Grist says Stratos could cover 40,000 acres and raise the state’s carbon emissions by 64%, while it would sit near the northern tip of the Great Salt Lake, which is expected to reach a record low elevation this year following an unusually dry winter. Robert Davies of Utah State University warns the facility could act as a major heat island, potentially raising nighttime temperatures by up to 28°F and making it the largest data center on the planet. The Utah Senate president behind earlier approvals is Robert Davies? (No—Robert Davies is the scientist cited.) The piece instead identifies J. Stuart Adams as a Utah Senate leader who praised the plan in early May and notes thousands of residents have protested and alleged generous tax breaks.