Utah and artificial intelligence, explained
Utah was early to write AI rules, and now the fight has moved to large data centers in rural counties, where opposition has already cost officials their seats.
Continuing story: Utah and artificial intelligence
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Utah has tried to encourage artificial intelligence while setting rules for it. In 2026, the debate shifted from how the state uses AI to where the data centers that power it will go, and how much water and land they will take. [1][3][4]
How it got here
March 13, 2024: Gov. Spencer Cox signed SB149, the Artificial Intelligence Policy Act, sponsored by Sen. Kirk Cullimore and Rep. Jefferson Moss. It created the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy and an AI Learning Laboratory that can offer temporary regulatory relief, and it set disclosure rules for generative AI. It took effect May 1, 2024. [1][2]
December 2025: Cox launched a Pro-Human AI Initiative. [5]
April 2026: Cox said Utah had an "obligation" to build data centers, a stance he later walked back. [3]
May and June 2026: Box Elder County Commissioner Lee Perry voted in May to let the Military Installation Development Authority create a project area for Stratos, a large data center project led by investor Kevin O'Leary. Perry lost his June primary to Nathan Tueller, 54% to 46%. Stratos also factored into Senate President Stuart Adams' primary loss, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. [3][4]
Oct. 6, 2026: Cox signed Executive Order 2026-08, which requires state agencies to complete AI literacy training, document AI inputs and outputs, and keep a human reviewing AI-assisted decisions that affect people's rights. The Department of Government Operations leads the effort. [5]
Where it stands
Opposition is broad. In a Utah State University survey of nearly 900 Utahns in August, 76% opposed building more data centers in the state, 78% opposed Stratos and 84% said the approval process moves too fast. About 74% were dissatisfied with how Cox has handled the issue, and 76% with how lawmakers have. [3]
The Deseret News counts four Utah projects delayed or contested: Stratos in Box Elder County, B+F Timpanogos Tech in Provo, a Facebook data center in West Jordan and a project in Mona. In Mona, a 3-million-square-foot data center was approved by conditional use permit without notice to residents, and an appeal is pending. Commissioners in Millard and Beaver counties have also lost their seats. [4]
Other proposals include two sites in Millard County, a 500-megawatt project in Tooele County that drew protests and a 9,000-acre nuclear and data campus near Price. [3]
On water, a state law, HB76, requires data centers to notify their water providers 90 to 360 days before construction, and Salt Lake City caps industrial users at 200,000 gallons a day. One existing data center in West Valley City used 80 million gallons in a year. [4]
What to watch
Whether lawmakers tighten rules on data center water use, energy and public notice. [3][4]
The Mona permit appeal and the fate of Stratos and the other proposals. [3][4]
How agencies carry out the executive order; a report is due July 1, 2027. [5]
Sources
- Utah Legislature · S.B. 149 Artificial Intelligence Amendments (2024)
- McDermott Will & Emery · Utah Artificial Intelligence Policy Act (2024)
- The Salt Lake Tribune · Most Utahns oppose building more data centers (Oct. 8, 2026)
- Deseret News · How rural Utah became the front line of America's AI data center backlash (Oct. 10, 2026)
- Office of Gov. Spencer J. Cox · Executive Order 2026-08 (Oct. 6, 2026)
Background explainer by The Utah Ledger. AI-assisted reporting, checked against the sources above.