Utah Data Center Project Could Increase State Carbon Emissions by 50%

A proposed 9 gigawatt data center campus in Box Elder County, Utah, may significantly increase the state's carbon footprint. Because the project plans to build its own natural gas power plant to meet energy needs, experts estimate a potential 50% rise in statewide carbon dioxide emissions. Governor Spencer Cox has defended the project as a matter of national security and technological competition. However, community members and atmospheric scientists are raising concerns over the lack of public environmental impact analyses and the reliance on fossil fuels for such a massive energy load.