"We pissed off a lot of people": Giant data center plan cut 50% amid protests

Key points

• One of the world's biggest data center projects was designed to be nearly three times the size of Manhattan, stretching across multiple Utah sites.
• But intense local backlash in Box Elder County has now pushed the developer to cut the project plans in half before construction starts.
• Residents' top concern was the Stratos data center project draining local waters, and they were willing to pay to protect them, most especially the vulnerable Great Salt Lake.
• Many locals paid a $15 fee to register comments to block the transfer of 1,900 acre-feet of water from a ranch to the hyperscale data center.
• Other concerns include electricity bills rising and potential risks to air quality, local wildlife, and land.