A proposed 40,000-acre hyperscale AI data center campus in Hansel Valley, Box Elder County, is drawing strong opposition from skiers, snowboarders, and outdoor enthusiasts. The Stratos Project is planned to reach about 9 gigawatts of power demand at full build-out, described as the largest data complex ever proposed globally. Critics focus on thermal effects from on-site power generation using natural gas from the Ruby Pipeline, which would release large amounts of waste heat into the basin. Calculations estimate about 16 gigawatts of thermal energy, creating an artificial heat island that could raise daytime temperatures by about 5°F and increase nighttime temperatures by up to 28°F. Reviewers warn this could shift the local semi-arid ecosystem toward conditions resembling the Sahara Desert and worsen threats to the Great Salt Lake, snowpack, and water supply.
"The controversy surrounds the Stratos Project - a proposed 40,000-acre hyperscale A.I. data center campus in Box Elder County's Hansel Valley, backed by TV personality Kevin O'Leary's O'Leary Digital and developer West GenCo. According to a joint investigation by Grist and The Salt Lake Tribune, the project is designed for a staggering 9 gigawatts of power demand at full build-out, making it the largest data complex ever proposed globally. Salt Lake's ski community fears that it could be an ecological bomb and the nail in the coffin for an already threatened water supply."
"Because the complex intends to generate its own power on-site using natural gas from the crossing Ruby Pipeline, a massive amount of waste energy will be released directly into the high-desert basin. Robert Davies, a physics professor at Utah State University, calculated that the finished facility will produce roughly 16 gigawatts of thermal energy. This continuous output is expected to create a severe artificial heat island, spiking local daytime temperatures by 5°F and sending nighttime temperatures soaring by up to 28°F."
"Ben Abbott, an ecology professor at Brigham Young University who reviewed Davies' estimates, warned Grist that such a dramatic shift could effectively push the valley's semi-arid ecosystem toward a climate resembling the Sahara Desert. The outdoor community is particularly concerned with how this "manufactured heat island" will interact with the neighboring Great Salt Lake."
#ai-data-centers #great-salt-lake #climate-and-heat-impacts #utah-water-and-snowpack #environmental-opposition
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