Resistance Builds as Data Center Costs Come Into View
Utah remained the clearest flashpoint yesterday. A Deseret News and University of Utah poll found 53% of respondents opposed Kevin O'Leary's proposed Box Elder County data center development, while in Hansel Valley Mineral Resources International filed water-related protests against the Stratos project. The pressure is spreading beyond local complaints into statewide politics and formal water questions.
In Indianapolis, DC Blox's proposed $2 billion campus on a former Ford site drew organized pushback ahead of a June 11 hearing. The company is seeking a use variance for three buildings totaling up to 420,000 square feet, with as much as 78 megawatts of demand and 56 backup generators, and residents focused on power use, water, noise, and brownfield contamination.
Ohio also put fresh numbers on the subsidy side of the buildout. The state said its data center sales-tax exemption cost about $555 million in 2024, with another $166.8 million in lost local sales tax, and now projects the state cost at $1.57 billion in 2025. That matters because opposition is no longer only about land and water; it is increasingly about how much public cost sits behind new capacity.
Key Points
- A Deseret News and University of Utah poll found 53% statewide opposition to Kevin O'Leary's proposed Box Elder County data center development.
- Mineral Resources International filed water quantity and water quality protests against the Stratos project in Hansel Valley, citing risks to Great Salt Lake-linked operations.
- DC Blox's $2 billion Indianapolis proposal heads to a June 11 use-variance hearing after residents challenged its 78 megawatts of demand, 56 generators, water use, and contaminated-soil risks.
- Ohio said its data center sales-tax break cost about $555 million in 2024, plus $166.8 million in local sales-tax losses, and could reach $1.57 billion in 2025.
Implications
Projects in water-stressed or politically exposed areas are more likely to face longer timelines as resistance moves into hearings, protests, and cost reviews rather than staying at the level of general public unease.
Developers, utilities, and state officials will increasingly need clearer answers on who pays for grid, water, and tax support if they want large campuses to move smoothly through siting and permitting.
Things to watch
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Whether Utah opposition turns into permit delays, added conditions, or broader political action around the Stratos and Box Elder proposals.
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The June 11 Indianapolis hearing on DC Blox's requested use variance.
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Any Ohio legislative move to narrow, cap, or reopen debate over data center tax exemptions.