Box Elder County commissioners table vote on MIDA 'Stratos' data‑center and power project, schedule public meeting

Box Elder County commissioners on April 27 heard a detailed presentation from the Military Installation Development Authority on the proposed 40,000‑acre “Stratos” data center and on‑site power campus and unanimously voted to table consideration of an interlocal agreement and a consent resolution to allow more public review and additional information.

The project, presented by Hilary Venable, MIDA project director, would concentrate data‑center and energy generation infrastructure in Hansel Valley and adjacent parcels and is intended to support military mission resilience and large‑scale AI and cloud computing workloads. “This project is about infrastructure that supports military missions, not indirectly, but by design. Reliable energy and secure data systems are no longer optional,” Venable said during the presentation.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents pressed MIDA representatives on several core issues — water availability and use, local land‑use authority and municipal services, environmental impacts on nearby habitats, and the scale and pace of the proposal. The County will not decide the interlocal agreement until officials have had time to review permitting studies and hold additional public outreach; commissioners scheduled a follow‑up meeting for May 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at the county fairgrounds so a larger public turnout can attend.

Project details and technical commitments MIDA said the Stratos project is planned in phases and would allow existing agricultural uses to continue on land not under active construction. Austin Pritchett, MIDA’s technical representative, said the team has purchased roughly 3,000 acre‑feet of on‑site water rights and can access about 10,000 acre‑feet in Snowville if needed. “On site they have about 3,000 acre feet that are being purchased. Up the road, we have about 10,000 acre feet in Snowville if needed,” Pritchett said. MIDA told commissioners the campus aims to use closed‑loop cooling and near‑zero‑water technologies where possible, with long‑term water demand nearer that of a large office campus rather than traditional heavy industrial use.

On power, MIDA representatives said the campus is being designed to generate the majority of its energy on site — leveraging nearby natural gas infrastructure, including the Ruby Pipeline — so that the project will not draw down local utility capacity or raise residential rates. Venable said the developer committed to an initial phase of about 3 gigawatts of on‑site power and that full build‑out could support up to 7.5–8 gigawatts of capacity.

Economic and fiscal claims MIDA presented economic projections and short‑term supports: the developer has offered $5.4 million in prepayments over three years to help the county prepare municipal services and equipment. Venable said phase‑one energy and compute operations could produce about $30 million in annual revenue to the county and that full build‑out could yield about $108 million annually, with funds unrestricted after municipal service obligations are covered.

Local control, permitting and environmental review Commissioners repeatedly sought clarity about local authority: Venable confirmed that MIDA functions as a state land‑use authority within designated project areas but described a development review committee that would include county planners, the fire marshal and other local experts to jointly approve site plans and coordinate municipal services. On environmental oversight, MIDA said the project will follow state permitting for air and water and that traffic, environmental and air permitting studies are underway or planned. Venable said dark‑sky standards, noise limits and wildlife buffers are included in draft standards and guidelines and that studies would inform any required mitigation.

Public concerns and timing Several residents interrupted the presentation to press for answers about water, wildlife near Locomotive Springs and Gunnison Bay, potential natural‑gas use, and the project’s rapid timeline. Commissioners told MIDA representatives that county leaders and some local officials had learned of the proposal late in the process; Venable apologized for missed earlier communications and said MIDA intended greater transparency going forward. Commissioners expressed concern about being rushed to a consent decision and asked for more time to review technical studies and to hold town halls.

Commission action Commissioner Lee Perry moved to table Interlocal Agreement #26‑15 and Resolution #26‑11 and to reschedule another meeting; Commissioner Boyd Bingham seconded. The motions passed on a roll call vote with Chairman Tyler Vincent, Commissioner Boyd Bingham and Commissioner Lee Perry voting yea. The commissioners set a follow‑up meeting for May 4, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. at the county fairgrounds.

What’s next MIDA and the developer said they will publish studies and fact sheets and hold additional town‑hall sessions. Commissioners said the county has engaged outside legal counsel and will use the additional week to review agreements, the developer’s studies and follow‑up questions from residents.

The commission adjourned at 11:25 a.m.; the interlocal agreement and resolution remain tabled pending the May 4 meeting and publication of the project’s master‑plan materials and technical studies.