Utah Governor Spencer Cox criticized the state board that approved the Stratos data center in Box Elder County, stating the process failed the public. According to a report published August 28, Cox expressed that the Military Installation Development Authority, the entity responsible for approving the hyperscale data center, needs major reform.
Cox told The Salt Lake Tribune that the process for the Stratos project was not good and characterized the board's actions as mission creep. He noted that the board, which was created to advance military initiatives in Utah, has been approving large development projects, including those at ski resorts and the Kevin O'Leary-backed Stratos proposal.
Cox suggested that projects of such significant scale should involve a larger role for the governor's office and more involvement from the Governor's Office of Economic Development. He also identified the State Fair Park Authority and the Point of the Mountain State Land Authority as other independent entities where the governor's office should have increased oversight.
Legal challenges surround the Stratos project, with MIDA and Box Elder County involved in lawsuits related to the development and a failed citizen referendum. While MIDA stated it has paused action on Stratos during these legal proceedings, Kevin O'Leary indicated via email that the development is moving full steam ahead through the permitting process.
MIDA spokesperson Kristin Kenney Williams stated that MIDA is a state-created entity formed in 2007 to further military initiatives and economic development and is not a policymaker. She added that the entity is subject to state statutes and is happy to engage with the governor's team.
Previous legislative attempts to expand gubernatorial authority over major developments failed to pass. In the 2025 legislative session, State Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore proposed the Beehive Development Agency, but the bill did not reach a floor vote. Additionally, a proposal by Rep. Neil Walter to require governor approval for public entities considering tax increment financing did not reach committee debate.
