Utah — 2nd District

At a debate Tuesday for Utah’s newly-structured 2nd Congressional District, held at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, the candidates dove straight into the issues constituents have been most vocal about: data centers, energy consumption, water policy, and inflation-driven affordability. The district is home to the highly controversial Stratos Project — a massive AI data center campus proposed in Box Elder County. Rep. Blake Moore, who currently serves as the U.S. representative for Utah’s 1st Congressional District, and Democratic challenger Peter Crosby gave replies with a similar undertone: More local involvement and transparency is needed. Moore said that local officials learned one thing from the chaos last spring: “They have to bring the public along” — though he acknowledged that the technology is a part of the state’s immediate future. Crosby pointed to top-down pressure, instead, saying he advised Box Elder commissioners to vote “not yet” on the data center project — something many other local leaders did not do for fear of the county being sued. “As we talk about the future of data centers in Utah specifically, we have to acknowledge that local control is oftentimes being ignored because external pressure coming from the top down is forcing a decision against the will of local residents,” he said. “That’s inappropriate.” How rural Utah became the front line of America’s AI data center backlash The Military Installation Development Authority — which is overseeing the Stratos Project — isn’t only building in Box Elder County. It’s already built Falcon Hill, a business park on about 550 acres of underused land on the west side of Hill Air Force Base. Moore pointed to this example as something that needs to be mimicked — using military bases and land that we already have designated for elements of national security to build data centers, leaving less local impact. Crosby, on the other hand, said MIDA is a board of “unappointed, unelected officials that have zero accountability to the voters.” “And so a reform of MIDA, from my perspective, is absolutely needed,” he added. “And a House bill with some teeth would be needed … However, both candidates agreed future requirements for data center developers should include transparency with resources and potential impacts to the community — especially when it comes to water, which the state is running out of. Saving what’s left of the Great Salt Lake When it comes to the state’s largest water issue, both candidates made it clear the Great Salt Lake is at the top of their priority lists. The water levels in the lake — the largest salt water lake in the Western Hemisphere — are at a record lows. Crosby pointed out that the state will soon have to decide between different priorities: Giving water to agricultural needs, data centers or a growing population. There is no longer enough water to accomplish all three. Moore, in a similar way, said Utah leaders “have seen the long-term consequences of a wa