Latest survey reveals growing anti-AI sentiment among Utah residents leads to declining support for Box Elder data center

SALT LAKE CITY — The sweeping changes required to usher in an era of artificial intelligence have divided the nation and the state of Utah, turning the ⁣discussion about AI⁣ infrastructure into ⁢a political hot potato.

A recent poll⁤ by Deseret News-Hinckley Institute of Politics, conducted by Morning Consult, shows that a majority ⁢of Utah voters⁢ are against a proposed data center in Box Elder County, which ⁤is backed by celebrity​ investor Kevin O’Leary.

As soon as⁣ the project was announced, it triggered a strong public reaction that forced state leaders to reconsider ​the accelerated steps they had taken.

Candidates for Congress in Utah have already felt ⁢compelled to express their views on the process, while others have made their position on the project a key part of their campaigns.

The debate over the data center has brought together a group of voters who share concerns ⁣about its impact on water, energy, and local control. Many are still unsure whether Utah leaders should embrace, delay, or reject ⁣an⁤ AI-driven future.

Latest Poll on Data Center

The Deseret News-Hinckley Institute poll asked Utah voters about their stance⁢ on the “Stratos Project,” which was recently approved by the Box Elder County Commission for 40,000 acres across three sites in Hansel Valley.

According to the poll conducted from May 15-18 among 802 voters, ‌53% of voters said⁤ they either somewhat or strongly oppose the project, while 30% say they somewhat or strongly support it.

Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute, ​noted the ⁣”remarkably low” level of‌ undecided Utahns for such a complex project.

“Utahns are not waiting to learn every detail before forming an ​opinion,” Perry told the Deseret News. “What is unusual here is how quickly the ​Stratos project became a statewide conversation.”

The opposition to ​the project was highest ‍among self-identified⁢ Democrats and ‍suburban voters.

Almost 85% of Democrats ‌oppose the project, compared to 62% of independents and ‌36% ‍of Republicans. The largest share of GOP voters (45%) support the project, while ‌1 in 5 say⁢ they don’t know, according to the survey.

Opposition was consistent across age groups⁤ but varied by region: 52% of urban ⁢residents support⁣ it; 42% oppose. Just 20%‍ of suburban and 22% of rural residents ⁢support ⁢it,‍ with 61% suburban and 53% rural opposing.

Anti-data center sentiment‍ is not unique to Utah. ‍Nationwide, local backlash has led to ‌project moratoriums in 69 jurisdictions, with efforts underway to expand that by another 78, as reported by the Deseret News.

Understanding the⁣ Stratos‍ Project

In January, O’Leary met with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to discuss the project. O’Leary presented details of the plan​ to Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority, which‍ approved special zoning ‌incentives on April 24.

MIDA has the power to fast-track projects with local permission. On May 4, Box Elder County commissioners approved the first step of MIDA’s project plan, allowing it to proceed to the permitting process.

O’Leary has ‍promoted the Stratos ‍Project as one of⁢ the world’s largest data centers⁢ — a campus of warehouse-sized buildings filled with computer ⁤servers, used to train and operate large‌ language models like ChatGPT.

At ⁣full capacity, the data center is projected⁤ to consume more than 7.5 ⁢gigawatts, twice the peak energy consumption of‌ the state, and 619 million ⁤gallons of water — enough for several thousand homes.

Phase I will be limited to 1 gigawatt and 3.6 million gallons of water on less than 2,000 acres. Regulators say water ‌depletion⁤ will be⁤ less than current ⁢agricultural use and emissions will comply with the Clean Air Act.

Despite being ⁤granted 100% property tax relief, the project committed $16 million upfront to offset county services, $30 million in energy tax revenue for Phase I and $100 million, plus 2,000 jobs,‍ upon completion.

Is the Project Worth It?

The Deseret News-Hinckley Institute poll also ⁤asked voters whether they thought the ⁣economic benefits of⁣ new data centers, like jobs and tax revenue, outweigh their costs to Utah’s water and energy resources.

Nearly ⁢7 in 10 voters, representing⁤ a majority across every party, age and⁤ regional⁤ group, said they ⁢did not, including 60%‍ of Republicans, 82% of Democrats, 60%​ of voters under 35 and around 75% of​ voters 35 and older.

“The way it’s been handled have all the hallmarks⁤ of a ⁤bad deal for Utahns, and the people nearest to it, at least in terms of perception,” Brady Young, the state’s former⁣ lead AI policy⁢ analyst, told the Deseret News.

Regardless of what people think about AI, it seeds public distrust when a group of wealthy individuals utilizes a​ little-known government entity to green-light ‌a transformative AI installation, Young said.

Utah economic opportunity director Jefferson Moss said⁢ he takes ownership ‌of the state, not communicating better on the project. ⁤MIDA might not be the best body to approve ‍these kinds of projects, he acknowledged.

“We’ve not come out and said we’re anti-data centers. We’re not out there shouting from the rooftops, ‘Come to Utah.’ We believe⁣ in the process,” ⁢Moss ‍told the Deseret News. “You have to go through all these steps.”

Politicians’ Views on the Project

Despite‍ Utah’s reputation as one of the most friendly states for innovative tech and‌ energy startups, ​the hostility toward AI ‍infrastructure has sent politicians scrambling to find a balanced approach on the issue.

At a Deseret News/Atlantic event last week, Cox reiterated the national security imperative of building AI capacity, but‌ he also recognized ⁣”people are‌ right to push back”⁢ because he said, ‌”The process wasn’t‍ great.”

Meanwhile, Jason Chaffetz, who confirmed ⁢with the Deseret News ⁢he is considering a bid for governor, received pushback for a post last week explaining why his consulting firm helped bring the project to the state.

Rep. Blake Moore, who​ represents northern Utah, told the ⁣Deseret News he trusts the county to make the choice. His GOP primary challenger, ⁤Karianne Lisonbee, said ‌Box Elder deserved‍ more transparency from​ MIDA.

In ⁤Deseret News ‍editorial board meetings, Rep. Celeste Maloy ⁤said Utah data centers should ⁤be air-cooled to limit water use, while her opponent, Phil Lyman, said the project is⁣ an example⁢ of harmful government favoritism.

Democratic candidates for Congress all came out opposed, with Ben‍ McAdams claiming ⁣the project is in the wrong place, Nate Blouin lambasting O’Leary’s involvement and Liban Mohamed calling for a ban.

“AI data centers are going to become a much bigger political issue⁤ in Utah,” Perry said. “Once you start seeing concern cut across party lines,‍ it usually means the issue is going to⁢ have staying power.”

Views of National Experts

The tension in ‍Utah over data centers may seem new, but it is becoming ⁣a common feature of politics.

Corey Young, who directs ​research into local government and data centers at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania, said large data centers will soon be “ubiquitous” at the state ⁣level.

About 700 large​ data centers are under construction across the U.S., including 10-gigawatt projects in Texas ⁤and Wyoming, ‍with more than 3,000 data centers expected to consume 10-25% of America’s energy by 2030.

This has unified “a lot⁢ of odd‌ bedfellows” from across the political spectrum, Young⁣ said, around anxiety that data centers might speed up AI threats to society, have uncertain benefits or directly harm nearby communities.

“We’ve seen a unified​ front on the​ anti-data center side of the‍ argument of both environmentalists,⁤ who⁢ have tended to be more progressive folks, with much more conservative folks,” Young told the Deseret News.

Far from being unprecedented, ​AI boosters believe data center outrage ​is just part of an old ⁣pattern.

Major changes spark “a moment of technopanic” before people understand the ‍connection between the services they rely on⁣ and⁣ the infrastructure, said Neil Chilson, head of AI Policy at the Abundance Institute.

“History has shown ‌that technology has been the⁤ primary driver of widespread human prosperity. And I think AI is well poised to continue that. We’ve just⁤ got to tell that ⁢story better,” Chilson told the Deseret News.

But ​he doubts the political dynamic ​will improve quickly because, as AI benefits remain abstract, “fear ‍sells.”