Cox Rejects Full Gas Power for Stratos Data Center
SkimNews Take
The governor's pivot to renewable energy for future data center phases suggests a recognition that even projects framed as economic development face increasing public and environmental scrutiny over their resource demands.
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- Stratos Project is a planned 40,000‑acre data center in northern Utah, expected to be as large as Washington, D.C.
- MIDA approved the Stratos Project, created tax incentives, and said the power plant would draw 100 % of its electricity from the Ruby Pipeline natural gas.
- Governor Spencer Cox announced the project will never be solely powered by natural gas, insisting future phases use nuclear, geothermal, solar, and other technologies.
- Scientists estimate a 9‑GW natural‑gas plant for the data center could raise Utah’s carbon emissions by 64 % and require 13,000 acre‑feet of water—enough for over 20,000 households.
- Opponents filed nearly 4,000 protest letters and delivered a 6,000‑signature petition to the governor, demanding action to protect the Great Salt Lake.
Why it matters: Utah’s water users and air‑quality advocates face higher emissions and water scarcity as the 9‑GW gas plant could lift state carbon output 64 % and draw water for 20,000 households.
