Box Elder County pauses new data center applications for six months

Box Elder County of­ficials have approved a six-month moratorium on new data center ap­plications while they review land-use regu­lations and develop­ment standards for future projects.

The Utah Data Center operated by the National Security Agency near Bluffdale is one of the state’s largest data center facilities. Box Elder County recently approved a six-month moratorium on new data center applications while officials review development regulations and standards for future projects.

The 180-day pause, approved June 10, temporarily halts new applications for data centers, related power and associated digi­tal infrastructure in unincorporated areas of the county. County leaders said the mora­torium will allow time to determine whether existing regulations adequately address projects of this scale.

The move follows months of public de­bate surrounding the proposed Stratos project in Box Elder County, which has drawn scrutiny over issues including water use, power demand, air quality and com­munity impacts.

As previously re­ported by the Southern Utah News, concerns about large-scale data center development prompted Gov. Spen­cer Cox to issue Ex­ecutive Order 2026- 03 in May, directing state agencies to more closely evaluate future projects and their im­pacts on communities and public resources.

The moratorium does not apply to proj­ects that have already received approvals, meaning the Stratos project is expected to continue moving for­ward.

The issue has also reached southern Utah. The Southern Utah News recently reported on a proposed data center project in Iron County, where officials are consider­ing a similar type of development.

While no moratorium has been announced in Iron County, the Box Elder County deci­sion reflects growing statewide questions about how communi­ties should balance economic development with concerns about water, power and oth­er infrastructure de­mands.