SALT LAKE CITY — Hundreds of people gathered at the Utah State Capitol Saturday to protest the proposed Stratos data center project in Box Elder County — a project that opponents say raises major questions about water, power demand and transparency.
The rally was organized by BEAR — Box Elder Accountability Referendum — along with environmental and advocacy groups opposing the proposed development.
Protesters chanted “Our water, our rights” and “Stand up Utah — fight, fight, fight,” while others sang modified Beatles lyrics calling for “no more greed.”
“This is something that affects everybody here in Utah, whether they’re on the left or the right,” one protester said.
The protest comes after a heated Box Elder County meeting earlier this month where county leaders approved moving the project forward, sparking a growing referendum effort and statewide pushback.
Opponents say they are concerned about the project’s scale and its potential impact on resources.
“You know what’s really at stake is honest government, integrity in the decisions that we’re making about how we’re building the future,” said Patrick Belmont, a water and climate expert at Utah State University.
Belmont said his concerns go beyond artificial intelligence itself and focus more on the speed and scale of the decisions surrounding the project.
“I’m not just worried that we’re making mistakes, but we’re making mistakes faster than we can learn from them,” Belmont said.
For residents helping lead the pushback, the next fight could move from the Capitol steps to the ballot box.
“We did not feel heard at all,” said Shannon Barton with Box Elder Accountability Referendum.
Barton said the group is now preparing a referendum effort challenging the county’s approval process.
“We’re going to try and get 7,000 signatures so that if some get thrown out, we’ll have extras,” Barton said.
The group would have 45 days to gather signatures from Box Elder County voters.
State leaders and supporters of the project say this is not final approval and that additional review and permitting would still need to happen before construction could move forward.
Whether the project ultimately moves forward or not, Saturday’s protest showed just how personal Utah’s growing debate over artificial intelligence infrastructure has become for many residents.
