AI Data Center War topples Republican Senate President Stuart Adam, who voted to approve Mr. Wonderful Kevin O’Leary data center in Utah. Two Box Elder County commissioners who supported data center voted out too.
The people of Utah and Box Elder County have spoken. They defeated the Republican Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, who has been in office since 2008. Adams had supported the building of a new data center by Mr. Wonderful Kevin O’Leary’s company, O’Leary Digital. Stephanie Hollist, a lawyer, won the primary.
Hollist opposed the data center: “We are seeing just one example of this right now with big development proposals that have the potential to significantly impact our resources – and our lake. Moving things like this forward without listening to these concerns – or not even acknowledging them in the first place – leads to serious questions about who our government is serving.”
Fittingly, I just taught about the data center backlash and we discussed the controversy in Utah. Katie Couric had a nice summary of it yesterday:
Kevin O’Leary (aka “Mr. Wonderful” from Shark Tank) wants to build a massive AI data center in Utah — but not everyone is on board. The 20,000-acre Stratos Project has sparked backlash over concerns about water use, energy costs, noise, and what the AI boom could mean for local communities. Supporters argue that building out AI infrastructure is key to America’s economic and national security future. Opponents are asking a different question: what happens when the AI boom comes to your backyard? With voters weighing in and similar battles playing out across the country, the debate over data centers is only heating up. 📹: AP Newsroom/Alex Goodlett/ Getty/Smithsonian/Michael Hanson/By Ewold/Halbergman/FOX 13 News Utah 📷: AP Newsroom Getty/Education Images/Natalie Behring/George Frey/Austin American-Statesman/Hearst Newspapers/UCG/Natalie Behring/Anadolu/Brendan Smialowski/Amy Sussman/Christopher Willard Military Installation Development Authority, O’Leary Digital, Utah Senate, Stephanie Hollist for Senate
Adams was a member of Military Installation Development Authority and voted in favor the data center. So did Box Elder County Commissioners Boyd Bingham and Lee Perry, who were also voted out of their seats.
Republican voters ousted Utah’s most powerful lawmaker, state Senate President J. Stuart Adams, Tuesday after a series of controversies and mounting criticism for his role as one of the key decision-makers advancing a proposal to build a controversial data center in Box Elder County. Two other key GOP lawmakers — Sen. Daniel McCay and Rep. Trevor Lee — were voted out as well. (✍️: Emily Anderson Stern | 📹: Abigail Landwehr)
There was vocal public opposition to the data center by local residents:
During class, I said we should check the results in the primary in Utah. Sure enough, the voters ousted the politicians who supported the new data center. Adams was the biggest shocker.
Two other Republican incumbents lost their primaries: Dan McCay, R-Riverton, and Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton. But the reasons may be unrelated to the data centers, according to some pundits.