PARK CITY, Utah — At his Operation Gigawatt Summit in Park City on Friday, Governor Spencer Cox promised no steps would be skipped when it comes to the proposed Box Elder County data center.
Gov. Cox appeared on stage with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, where the two spoke about a range of topics from air quality to saving the Great Salt Lake. Asked about the controversial data center project by reporters on Friday, Zeldin declined to weigh in except to say the EPA has procedures that must be followed. Gov. Cox chimed did and insisted nothing had been set in stone.
"In Utah, we have to follow the law," said the governor. "That’s what’s been missing from this discussion,is that those permits have not even been applied for yet when it comes to the air quality permits."
Standing next to Zeldin, the governor also disputed reports about the amount of power the data center would need to operate.
"This idea there’s going to be nine gigawatts of natural gas power, that’s never going to happen. That’s just not a thing. With current technologies, you could never get, you could never qualify for the air permits for that type and that size of power. Maybe a gig-and-a-half, maybe a little more than that," Gov. Cox added.
Here are the lobbyists Kevin O’Leary hired to promote his Box Elder County data center:
Cox said Stratos Project developers could use new technologies, like nuclear and geothermal, to power the center, but reiterated that those behind the data center would have to follow state guidelines to get approval.
"When they have to go through that permitting process," said Gov. Cox. "They don’t get to skip any steps."
That would mean the public will have more chances to weigh in on the Stratos Project when it comes to air quality and water permits. Critics have raised concerns about environmental harms to the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, the amount of emissions it would release and the amount of energy and water it would consume.
The proposed data center on 40,000 acres of land in Box Elder County, backed by celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary of TV's "Shark Tank," has generated massive controversy. Thousands have filed formal protests of water rights applications for the data center and environmental groups have organized protests, including one planned for Saturday morning on Utah's Capitol Hill.
Box Elder County residents opposed to the data center project are also working on a citizen referendum for the November ballot to repeal county commissioners' resolutions to green-light the project.
In an interview with FOX 13 News, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said data centers can be an economic boost for communities, but cautioned that there must be buy-in from them. He said he was not keeping up on the O'Leary proposal, beyond what he'd read in the press.
"I'm not involved in the details there. These are large scale investments. Initially there’s a gut reaction against that. I think lean in, engage with the community about it, and look carefully," Wright told FOX 13 News.
