Data centers and the fights over them

Proposed and operating data centers in Utah, the water and power they would use, and the local rules and meetings that decide them.

Latest update · October 22, 2026

Utah County deputies' removal of woman at data center meeting draws calls for review

The sheriff's office says the woman struck a deputy, while she denies it and says she suffered a concussion and bruises.

10 stories since October 1, 2026

Timeline

Latest updates

Politics
Utah County deputies' removal of woman at data center meeting draws calls for review
The sheriff's office says the woman struck a deputy, while she denies it and says she suffered a concussion and bruises.
Published October 22, 2026 · From KUTV 2News (CBS)
Community
West Jordan neighbors of Aligned data center campus describe generator noise
Salt Lake County's health department has four formal noise complaints since August and expects to finish its investigation in November.
Published October 21, 2026 · From The Salt Lake Tribune
Growth & housing
O'Leary Digital seeks 1,712 acre-feet of water a year for Stratos data center
Close to 200 protests were filed within days of the new application for Salt Wells Spring Stream water near Snowville.
Published October 21, 2026 · From The Salt Lake Tribune
Growth & housing
Utah County panel backs data center rules as deputies remove a woman from the meeting
Video shows deputies restraining protester Aspen Azalea after the commission's unanimous vote.
Published October 21, 2026 · From The Salt Lake Tribune
Crime & safety
Former advocacy group director sues Kevin O'Leary and Fox over Stratos comments
Taylor Knuth alleges O'Leary falsely said opponents of the Box Elder County data center were working for China.
Published October 21, 2026 · From The Salt Lake Tribune
Tech · Feature
Utah and artificial intelligence, explained
Utah was early to write AI rules, and now the fight has moved to large data centers in rural counties, where opposition has already cost officials their seats.
Published October 14, 2026
Politics
Utah House outlines data center rules as lawmakers weigh more limits
A Utah House post outlines laws on electricity costs, water reporting and tax incentives, and Speaker Mike Schultz says lawmakers 'do not want a state full of data centers.'
Published October 13, 2026 · From Utah House of Representatives news
Politics
Logan drafts limits on size, water and power for data centers
Draft rules would confine data centers to industrial park zones, keep them 1,000 feet from homes and cap their water use at 10 million gallons a year.
Published October 12, 2026 · From Utah Public Radio
Growth & housing
Box Elder, Iron counties race to write data center rules as moratoriums wind down
Iron County's draft would cap water use at 50,000 gallons a day for big projects, and Box Elder officials say their rules will land on the restrictive end.
Published October 9, 2026 · From KUER: Politics & Government
Growth & housing
Utah’s proposed Stratos AI data center draws scrutiny over scale, power and process
A new report examines the stalled Box Elder County proposal, local opposition and the infrastructure demands behind the proposed AI campus.
Published October 1, 2026