A 9-gigawatt data centre outraged a Utah community. The governor just issued new rules.

This article was published on May 31, 2026 Kevin O'Leary's 40,000-acre Stratos Project was approved despite community opposition. The governor's executive order is effective immediately. Utah’s governor issued an executive order setting new standards for data centres after a 9 GW project backed by Kevin O’Leary sparked protests. Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed an executive order on Friday establishing a “higher bar for data center development” in the state. The order is effective immediately. It follows months of community outrage over the Stratos Project, a 40,000-acre hyperscale data centre campus backed by “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary that could reach 9 gigawatts of power at full buildout. The framework contains eight principles addressing water resources, air quality, wildlife protection, utility rate impacts, and public comment requirements. “Utahns deserve confidence that water resources, air quality, utility rates, wildlife, and quality of life will be protected,” Cox wrote on X. The executive order directs state agencies to adopt the framework. It also requires the Stratos developers to use a phased approach, applying for new permits at every planned expansion. The