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Regbase

The Data Center Divide

Box Elder County

This restriction takes precedence while in effect. The rating below excludes temporary restrictions.

Pro-Data Center Policies

Box Elder County has enacted a 180-day pause on most new data-center applications, with exceptions for complete applications already approved; separate actions support a specific project with some operating limits.

current law · County project: Proposed Stratos project area in western Box Elder County; exact boundaries are unclear
Authorizes Box Elder County’s consent for the Military Installation Development Authority to create the Stratos project area in western Box Elder County, covering about 40,000 acres and potentially including a data center, energy generation, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and public infrastructure.Box Elder County Resolution 26-12 (2026)

What this means

The measure would help the project move forward in an area described as unzoned, supporting a potential data center. It also adds operating and design conditions, including noise limits, height restrictions, and dark-sky rules, but these do not appear to outweigh the development support.

People behind it

  • Approved the resolution consenting to MIDA's creation of the Stratos project area and negotiated the interlocal agreement.

  • Received the County's authorization to create and administer the Stratos project area.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements6

  • Noise from both the data center and power plant may not exceed 55 decibels.

  • Building heights are restricted to levels consistent with the County’s emergency-response capacity; if taller buildings are permitted, the developer must provide a new appropriately equipped fire truck every 10 years.

  • The project must comply with applicable dark-sky regulations.

  • A local landowner must serve on the Development Review Committee, which oversees and reviews the project during construction.

  • The developer must allow agricultural uses in and around the development area, including leasebacks to landowners for grazing, ranching, and farming.

  • The developer must pay for construction and maintenance of the public-services infrastructure required for the project and future development.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions4

  • The County authorized MIDA to create the Stratos project area, enabling development of a data center in an otherwise unzoned area of western Box Elder County.

  • The project may include on-site large-scale energy generation, allowing the data center to produce power directly at the site rather than placing additional demand on the regional electrical grid.

  • The developer must pay for construction and maintenance of the public-services infrastructure needed for the project, including infrastructure such as sewer, water, and drainage.

  • The project area is planned for phased development across approximately 40,000 acres, with one site designated to support energy generation and a data center.

Sources

current law · County project: Private land in unincorporated Box Elder County included in the MIDA Stratos Project Area
Grants official county consent to include approximately 40,000 acres of privately owned, unzoned land in the MIDA Stratos Project Area.Box Elder County Resolution 26-11 (2026)

What this means

The resolution supports development by consenting to include roughly 40,000 acres of private land in the MIDA Stratos project area. That is a meaningful boost for this project, but the resolution is a project-specific land consent, not a broad rule or guarantee for data centers generally.

People behind it

  • Introduced and unanimously approved Resolution #26-11 consenting to the inclusion of private county land in the MIDA Stratos Project Area.

  • Project authority and party to the related interlocal agreement for the MIDA Stratos project; sought county consent for inclusion of the private land.

  • Consenting governmental party and party to the interlocal agreement with MIDA concerning the Stratos project.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements4

  • Development within the MIDA Stratos project is subject to strict limits on the extent of development.

  • Data centers must use closed-loop cooling systems, limiting the use of local water supplies.

  • Data centers must generate their own power, using natural gas rather than relying on local electricity grids.

  • The interlocal agreement requires the project to provide millions of dollars in annual tax revenue, creating an added financial obligation for the development.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions1

  • Box Elder County consents to including approximately 40,000 acres of private, unzoned land in the MIDA Stratos Project Area, enabling the proposed data center project to proceed under the MIDA framework.

Sources

Specific to Box Elder County only.

current law · Unincorporated areas
Establishes a temporary 180-day moratorium under Box Elder County Ordinance No. 654 on data-center-related land-use and development approvals in all zoned and unzoned areas of unincorporated Box Elder County.Box Elder County Ordinance No. 654 (2026)

What this means

The measure would pause new or pending applications for data centers and related power plants for 180 days, making it substantially harder to build or expand them during that period (applications would be suspended or not accepted). Complete applications already approved as complete could still proceed, and the measure does not directly ban operation of existing facilities.

Timing

Ends
180 days following the effective date of the Ordinance

The moratorium applies to applications and approvals associated with data centers and data center power plants. Complete applications determined complete before the effective date may continue to be processed. The ordinance may be repealed, extended, or replaced by a subsequent ordinance.

People behind it

  • County staff member identified on the agenda as responsible for Ordinance No. 654.

  • Directed staff to prepare the pending ordinance and passed and adopted the measure.

Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements2

  • For 180 days after the ordinance becomes effective, Box Elder County may not accept for filing or process land-use or development approvals associated with data centers or data center power plants, including business licenses, building permits, conditional-use permits, subdivision approvals, zone changes, site plans, development agreements, and administrative appeals. This applies in all zoned and unzoned areas of unincorporated Box Elder County. Applications determined complete before the effective date are exempt and may continue under the rules then in effect.

  • Applications related to data centers or data center power plants that were submitted but had not been determined complete before the effective date are suspended for the ordinance’s 180-day duration. The County may not make completeness determinations or conduct technical, substantive, or other administrative reviews during the suspension.

Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions1

  • Applications for data centers or data center power plants that the County determined were complete before the ordinance took effect may continue through processing and action under the regulations in effect when completeness was determined.

Sources

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