Utah Data Center Intel

Recent Utah data center news

• May 2, 2026

  Developers of mega data center promise environmental considerations, community benefit

  O’Leary Digital has announced plans for Project Stratos, a proposed 40,000-acre data center and accompanying power plant in Box Elder County, Utah.

  • Project details and commitments: The developers say Project Stratos would cover 40,000 acres and include a power plant producing up to nearly 9 gigawatts of electricity; they claim it will produce only 5% of the carbon emissions of similar plants and are seeking a production method that doesn’t require water. They plan a closed-loop cooling system (water‑and‑glycol mixture with occasional refills), promise no contaminants released, architectural design using clean and sustainable materials, leaseback agreements with ranchers to preserve grazing, and hunting sanctuaries. The developers also tie the project to AI and cloud-computing infrastructure for the U.S. military and say they will offer AI-literacy courses and academic program support. Phase one is expected to generate about 2,000 jobs, with potential to triple at full capacity.

  • Background, opposition, and process: The announcement responds to active online and organized opposition; developers allege some protesters are from outside Utah and report threats and harassment toward officials and landowners. Scientists remain skeptical about environmental outcomes. Box Elder County officials are scheduled to consider approval in an upcoming special meeting:

    • Date: Monday (as stated in the article published May 1, 2026; the meeting is described as the special meeting immediately following publication)
    • Time: 4:00 p.m.
    • Location: Box Elder County Fairgrounds
    • Agenda/subject: County commissioners to vote on approval of Project Stratos (mega data center and power plant)
• May 1, 2026

  Scenes from the great data center revolt

  Andy Patrizio reports growing community and political pushback against multiple proposed data center projects across the United States.

  • Widespread local opposition and legal/political actions: Multiple communities have moved from passive concern to active resistance, including a recall of four Festus, Missouri city council members after approval of a $6 billion, 360-acre data center proposal; a citizens’ lawsuit in Hermantown, Minnesota to block a $1.5 billion Google “Project Loon” site; and a coalition in Pennsylvania seeking a three-year moratorium plus legislation (HB 2150, HB 1834, HB 2151) requiring reporting on energy/water use, banning cost-shifting to residents, and a model zoning ordinance.
  • Project specifics and mitigations for two large developments: In Box Elder County, Utah, a Kevin O’Leary–backed hyperscale campus on 40,000 acres plans an initial ~3 GW power need and up to 9 GW at full buildout with on-site power via the Ruby Pipeline (MIDA says “100% of the power will be generated off the Ruby Pipeline”); Wyoming’s Project Jade expanded from 1.8 GW to 2.7 GW (designer says theoretically up to 10 GW) and proposes closed-loop water cooling with initial fill equivalent to ~20 households and ongoing use equivalent to <3 households per year.
• Apr 24, 2026

  The POWER Interview: How the Oil and Gas Industry is Advancing Geothermal

  XGS Energy has announced a 115-MW development deal with California Community Power and is developing a 150-MW, $1.2-billion partnership with Meta in New Mexico.

  • Main announcement: XGS signed a 115 MW development agreement with California Community Power granting those members first rights to the electricity produced, and a 150-MW partnership with Meta described as a $1.2-billion capital project in New Mexico; the Meta project is two-phased and both phases are expected to be operational by 2030, and will supply Meta’s data center operations via the PNM utility grid.
  • Background and validation: XGS completed a commercial demonstration of its water-independent closed-loop system at the Coso geothermal field running continuously for more than 3,000 hours using its Thermal Reach Enhancement (TRE) and oil-and-gas-derived drilling and casing technologies; the article also cites an IEA finding that geothermal financing reached nearly $2.2 billion last year (up from $22 million in 2018) and references federal incentives (clean energy tax credits retained in the 2025 U.S. budget and DOE’s Enhanced Geothermal Shot).
• Apr 23, 2026

  TerraPower’s Kemmerer 1 Enters Construction: Timeline of the Natrium Project’s Road to First Power

  TerraPower has announced the official start of construction on Kemmerer Unit 1, its flagship Natrium sodium-cooled fast reactor plant, on April 23, 2026.

  • Construction start and project scope: TerraPower announced the official start of construction for Kemmerer Unit 1 on April 23, 2026, following the NRC’s construction permit issued March 4, 2026; the plant is a 345‑MWe sodium‑cooled fast reactor with an integrated molten‑salt energy storage system that can boost output to 500 MW, with a 2030–2031 commercial operation target and an expected mobilization of roughly 1,600 workers and about 250 full‑time staff in operation.
  • Background, funding, and partners: The project was selected under DOE’s ARDP with up to $2 billion in cost‑shared federal support; Bechtel is the EPC contractor (transitioning from early works into field execution); other partners and stakeholders include GE Hitachi, PacifiCorp, a HALEU partnership with Framatome, and a data‑center‑focused agreement with Meta; the NRC permit establishes licensing firsts for a commercial non–light water reactor and uses the LMP risk‑informed approach.
• Apr 20, 2026

  U.S. Data Center Gold Rush Drives Surge in New Utility Tariffs

  SEPA and the NC Clean Energy Technology Center (NCCETC) updated the Database of Emerging Large-Load Tariffs (DELTa) on March 31, 2026.

  • Update details: DELTa now summarizes and analyzes 77 approved and proposed tariffs and service rules across 60 utilities (including 51 approved and 26 proposed). Key dataset metrics include 36 states with tracked tariffs, 56% of tariffs specifying thresholds > 20 MW, and 14% specifying minimum loads of 100 MW.
  • Policy and regulatory actions: The note documents recent state actions and proposals: Pennsylvania PUC proposed a model tariff (minimum demand 50 MW or 100 MW in aggregate; 5-year minimum contract term; 3–5 year ramp; 80% minimum billing demand; up to 20% post-term load reduction; financial security and hardship fund contributions); New York PSC opened an Energize NY proceeding (stakeholder comments due May 13, 2026); North Carolina Task Force interim report (Feb 2026) recommends large-load tariff options and alternative capacity procurement; other actions include Utah S.B. 132 (March 2025, 100 MW threshold), Texas S.B. 6 (June 2025), California S.B. 57 (Oct 2025, CPUC findings due Jan 1, 2027), and Missouri executive order (Jan 2026). FERC’s ANOPR action on large-load interconnection reforms is expected by June 2026.
• Apr 9, 2026

  From Reactor Designs to Real Projects: SMRs Enter the Execution Era as AI Power Demand Accelerates

  Data Center Frontier reports that the SMR story in early 2026 has moved from reactor design discussion to concrete industrial execution focused on permits, fuel, supply chains, financing, and customer traction.

  • Main announcement / action: Through Q1 2026 (notably March), multiple vendors advanced from partnership announcements to tangible progress: TerraPower secured an NRC construction permit for Natrium; Holtec had its LWA docketed for two SMR-300 units at Palisades and is pursuing preliminary construction and a partnership with Hyundai Engineering & Construction (aiming at up to 10 GW in North America); X-energy confidentially filed for an IPO (Reuters, March 20) and signed MOUs with Talen Energy (evaluating multiple four-unit Xe-100 deployments) and IHI to strengthen U.S.-Japan supply chains.
  • Background and other details: Vendors are addressing three execution constraints: regulatory progress, manufacturing and fuel ecosystems (e.g., NuScale expanded its Framatome fuel partnership and planned U.S. production at Richland; Oklo and Centrus plan HALEU-related joint activities at Piketon, Ohio; Kairos secured a HALEU contract with DOE), and customer alignment (growing emphasis on industrial users, utilities, and data-center-driven load). Additional milestones: GE Hitachi advanced BWRX-300 deployment work (Step 2 UK GDA, MoUs in Southeast Asia and Poland) and Rolls-Royce SMR received a UK Justification Decision and partnered on supply-chain and control-systems work.
• Apr 9, 2026

  Turning Buildings into Energy Assets

  DaisyChain Energy, led by Co-founder and CEO Alex Blumberg, is deploying submetering and smart rate arbitrage to help commercial buildings reduce peak loads and act as grid-stabilizing assets.

  • Main announcement/action: DaisyChain combines submetering and smart rate arbitrage to track energy use at the circuit level and shift consumption to off-peak rates, producing immediate savings for commercial buildings while preparing sites for batteries, heat pumps, and other distributed energy resources. MCJ is an investor in DaisyChain; the company’s approach targets grid congestion and the problem of the grid being built for rare peak events.
  • Background and additional details: The article cites NERC warnings about growing power shortage risks and references global spending on grid upgrades (source: BCC Research). It notes rising demand from electrification and AI data centers and promotes related content: the DaisyChain conversation on the Inevitable podcast (linked to Spotify) and a related episode about Paces accelerating data center and renewable siting. Event details (as provided):
    • San Francisco Climate Week event: Date: not specified in article; Time: not specified; Location: San Francisco; Agenda/subject: New Mexico’s transformation as a hub for entrepreneurs and investments, featuring Rob Black (New Mexico Cabinet Secretary of Economic Development), Bruce Brown (Head of Strategic Climate Initiatives, New Mexico State Investment Council), Carrie Von Muench (Founding COO, Pacific Fusion), and Carl Hoiland (Co-Founder, Zanskar Geothermal).
• Apr 7, 2026

  Fervo, Turboden Sign 1.7-GW Turbine Deal for Geothermal Power Plants

  Turboden America LLC has announced a framework turbine supply agreement to provide ORC turbines for up to 35 GeoBlocks (1,750 MW) to Fervo Energy.

  • Main announcement: Turboden America LLC will supply its Organic Rankine cycle (ORC) turbines for up to 35 GeoBlocks (35 × 50 MW = 1,750 MW) for Fervo Energy, building on a prior agreement to supply ORC units for three 50-MW GeoBlocks at Fervo’s Cape Station, Utah project; the agreement also establishes delivery timelines intended to enable faster project execution and a more resilient supply chain.
  • Background and details: Turboden America LLC is a subsidiary of Turboden S.p.A. (part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group); Fervo is headquartered in Houston, Texas and is in advanced commissioning of Phase I at Cape Station (expected online later this year); the announcement notes ORC turbines convert heat into power without increasing fuel consumption, water use, or CO2 emissions and can be paired with gas turbines and industrial waste-heat processes; data center developers are cited as exploring geothermal as baseload power.
• Apr 3, 2026

  The energy and environmental impact of AI and how it undermines democracy

  Greenpeace International warns about AI’s environmental and democratic harms.

  • Main claim: Greenpeace argues the AI boom is driving rapidly rising energy, water and emissions footprints and concentrating corporate and political power; it cites a Greenpeace Germany report (2025) and an Öko/industry projection that AI data centre electricity demand could be 11 times higher in 2030 than in 2023, and a February 2026 Beyond Fossil Fuels report finding 74% of industry climate-benefit claims unproven.
  • Background and recent examples:Community and legal pushback is documented with concrete cases: New Brunswick, New Jersey removed data centres from a redevelopment plan (public backlash); San Marcos, Texas council blocked a proposed data centre (vote 5-2); South Dublin County Council (Sep 2025) called for a nationwide ban/moratorium or strict 100% renewables conditions; a UK legal challenge (Jan 2026) targets a 90MW hyperscale data centre in Buckinghamshire after a government approval error. The piece also highlights corporate finances and contracts: Nvidia revenue US$215.9 billion (fiscal 2026), Amazon profits ~US$77 billion (2025), political donations and industry contracts (see price_information).
• Apr 2, 2026

  The energy and environmental impact of AI and how it undermines democracy

  Greenpeace and allied campaigners have published reports and actions warning about AI’s rising energy, water and emissions footprint and the democratic risks of concentrated corporate power.

  • Main announcement / findings: Greenpeace Germany’s 2025 report warned that AI data centre electricity demand could be 11 times higher in 2030 than in 2023 unless governments intervene, and a February 2026 report backed by Beyond Fossil Fuels found 74% of industry claims about AI’s climate benefits were unproven. The reports document rapidly rising electricity use, water consumption and raw material demands tied to chips and data-centre buildout.
  • Context and concrete actions/details: Community and local government pushback is documented with multiple cases: New Brunswick, New Jersey removed data centres from a redevelopment plan; San Marcos, Texas blocked a proposed data centre at a 5-2 vote; South Dublin County Council (Sept 2025) called for a nationwide ban/moratorium or strict conditions (e.g., 100% renewables). The article also cites corporate and contractual figures (e.g., Nvidia revenue US$215.9 billion, Palantir–ICE $30m contract) and legal or policy actions such as a UK legal challenge to a 90MW hyperscale data centre in Buckinghamshire.