Utah governor rejects natural gas-only plan for massive 40,000-acre data center, pushes for nuclear and renewables
By
Leia Larsen
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
A massive 40,000-acre data center project called the Stratos Project planned for northern Utah has sparked controversy due to pollution concerns in a region already struggling with smog. The project was approved by the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) with tax incentives. However, Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox has pushed back against the original plan to run the facility entirely on natural gas, instead advocating for a mix of nuclear, geothermal, and solar power to fuel the data center.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledUtah's Republican governor says 'never' to the world's largest data center running on 100% natural gas.
Officials with the quasi-governmental Military Installation Development Authority, or MIDA, which approved the project and created tax incentives to spur its development, have become de facto cheerleaders for the project.
The project is expected to contribute to a region that already struggles with smog.
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