GoKawiilA wave of voter anger over massive data center projects is beginning to reshape U.S. politics, with local officials and senior lawmakers losing elections after backing controversial developments tied to the artificial intelligence boom.
In Utah on Wednesday, State Senate President J. Stuart Adams—one of the most powerful Republicans in the state—lost his primary election after supporting a major data center development near the Great Salt Lake, in one of the clearest signs yet of the growing political risks tied to the industry.
At the local level, the fallout was just as direct. “Do I think that the data center vote cost me the election? Yes I do,” former Box Elder County Commissioner Lee Perry said after conceding his primary race, after voting to advance the same project.
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The defeats of Adams and multiple county officials tied to the proposal suggest that opposition to data centers is no longer confined to planning disputes—but is emerging as a voting issue capable of reshaping elections.
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Utah's Stratos Project Controversy Explained
The controversy in Utah centered on a sprawling proposed data center campus, known as the Stratos project, planned near the Great Salt Lake.
Described as one of the largest data centers in the world, and backed by Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, the Stratos development would have spanned tens of thousands of acres in Box Elder County’s Hansel Valley. The project would ultimately require up to 9 gigawatts of power—more electricity than the entire state of Utah currently uses, according to The Guardian, although O'Leary later told NBC News he would be willing to shrink the project.
Adams became a focal point for opposition after backing the development in his role leading a state authority that approved early plans for the site, drawing criticism from residents who said officials ignored local concerns.
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