Utah’s top-ranking lawmaker says he has sent a letter to Kevin O’Leary demanding changes to his plan to build the Stratos data center in Box Elder County.
Utah Senate President Republican J. Stuart Adams is calling for a 75% reduction in the project's footprint, along with additional environmental protections and greater transparency, before the project can move forward.
In a press release Adams mentioned public feedback and further review of the proposed center as the reason for a request to review how water from the center will be treated and dedicated to Great Salt Lake.
Adams is also demanding O’Leary and his team enter into a memorandum of understanding to protect and preserve wildlife and agricultural uses and is demanding an independent scientific and engineering analyses for incorporating heat-capture technologies.
In the letter, Adams details ways he wants O’Leary to work with state and federal agencies to guarantee the data center exceeds environmental performance requirements.
Finally, Adams is demanding O’Leary cooperate with state agencies to create a transparent, public-facing website that will provide public access to processes, including water and air quality permits.
On Thursday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced an executive order directing state agencies to coordinate closely with one another, local governments, and policymakers during the data center proposal state review process.
