BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — Box Elder County residents and other Utahns concerned about a proposed 40,000-acre data center have found themselves facing a wall of resistance, built well before the Stratos project came into public view.
Below is a timeline of public statements and meetings related to the proposal:
- MARCH 25 — Box Elder County commissioners say they learned of the project when the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) told them about it. MIDA is a public committee composed of 8 men, all legislators, state officials, or lobbyists appointed by the governor and state House and Senate Republicans.
- APRIL 22 — The county commissioners held their first public meeting addressing the proposal.
- APRIL 24 — MIDA heard from the developer, Canadian investor and reality television star, Kevin O'Leary, on a video link in a public meeting.
- MAY 4 — The county commission approved an inter-local agreement with a green light for MIDA to move the project forward.
Since the commission and MIDA agreed, protests have not stopped, and O'Leary has been on the offensive on national TV and social media with personal attacks on Utahns opposed to the project.
- MAY 5 — In a social media post, O'Leary claimed 90% of protesters were bused in from out of state without providing evidence.
- MAY 8 — A group called Box Elder Accountability Referendum (BEAR) filed documents for a voter referendum to overturn the county commission's action.
- MAY 11 — Without presenting evidence, O'Leary accused 3 Utahns — 2 from the nonprofit Alliance for a Better Utah and one consultant — of working against American national security and suggested they were financially supported by China. The three are all well known in Utah politics and deny the accusation. O'Leary mentioned 990 tax forms filed by nonprofit organizations back him up. The latest 990 available on watchdog site GuideStar.org from 2024 shows Alliance for a Better Utah with annual expenses, including salaries, of under $200,000.
- MAY 18 — The first project renderings emerged — concept drawings of corporate buildings, busy with happy professionals. The drawings include craggy, snow-capped peaks that in reality are nowhere near the site, and none of the renderings include any of the energy and water infrastructure central to residents' questions.
Both the Box Elder County Commission and the governor have posted frequently asked questions or fact pages online that are entirely supportive of the project, while saying the development will occur over years with plenty of time to address concerns.
