1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The Stratos AI datacenter approved by Box Elder County commissioners must face serious state-level regulatory oversight before a single shovel breaks ground. This project spans 40,000 acres, demands 9GW of power — more than Utah's entire current electricity consumption — and would raise the state's greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 50%. That is not a development project. That is a hostile takeover of Utah's energy grid and environment. A Utah State University physics analysis found Stratos's waste heat could raise daytime temperatures in Hansel Valley by 2–5°F and nighttime temperatures by 8–12°F. The Great Salt Lake is already in crisis. Nearly 4,000 residents filed objections, and a referendum effort is underway to reverse the commissioners' approval. Governor Cox's vague assurances that the lake won't be harmed are not a regulatory framework. I want binding state regulations in place — covering power sourcing, water use, and heat emissions — before any phase of this project proceeds.