Utah Gov. Spencer Cox openly criticized the state board that approved the controversial Stratos data center in Box Elder County, saying the process failed the public and needs to be reformed.
The comments point to a larger issue: who gets to decide on massive projects that can shape a community for decades.
Here's what to know
At the center of Cox's criticism was Utah's Military Installation Development Authority, the entity that approved the hyperscale data center.
He said the board had reached beyond its role and pointed to Stratos as a clear example.
"Stratos is the one that obviously got a tremendous amount of attention, and it should have. The process was not good, and the MIDA process especially," Cox said, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
In Cox's view, that expansion amounted to "mission creep." A board created to advance military initiatives in Utah has been approving large development projects, including ones at ski resorts and the Kevin O'Leary-backed Stratos proposal.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
He said projects of that size should come with a much bigger role for the governor's office as well as more involvement from the Governor's Office of Economic Development, according to the newspaper.
More background
Legal battles have only intensified scrutiny of the project. MIDA and Box Elder County are tied up in lawsuits connected to Stratos and a failed citizen referendum.
While MIDA has said it paused action on Stratos as those cases play out, O'Leary wrote in an email that the development was moving "full steam ahead" through permitting, per the Tribune.
Cox's criticism came after reform efforts stalled. In the 2025 legislative session, state Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore proposed a Beehive Development Agency that would have expanded the governor's authority over major developments, but the bill never reached a floor vote, the outlet said.
Rep. Neil Walter proposed requiring public entities considering tax increment financing to get approval from the governor's office, though that idea never made it to a committee debate.
What's being done?
Cox indicated he plans to keep pressing the issue, saying he wants "major reform" for MIDA and that governors should "play a bigger role" when projects this large are weighed, the Tribune noted.
He also cast the concern in broader terms, naming the State Fair Park Authority and Point of the Mountain State Land Authority as other independent entities where the governor's office should have more oversight.
"As a state-created entity formed in 2007 to further military initiatives and economic development, MIDA is not a policymaker, and MIDA is of course subject to state statutes," MIDA spokesperson Kristin Kenney Williams said in a statement, per the Tribune. "... We're always happy to engage with the governor and his team."
Attention has also focused on the board itself. MIDA has eight members, including five appointed by the governor, and is chaired by Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams, who has been on the board since 2008. The data center became a major issue in his primary race, and Adams lost his reelection bid in June to Stephanie Hollist.
"The people are going to hold us accountable for what those entities do, and we need to make sure that we have insight into what it is they're doing, what projects they're taking on, and are they the right projects for our state," Cox said.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
