'Like 23 Atomic Bombs a Day': The Data Center That Scares Scientists

The Project

Stratos, a massive data center planned in Hansel Valley, Box Elder County, Utah, is drawing increasing attention not only for its size but especially for its potential environmental impact.

According to estimates released by the promoters, the infrastructure could require up to 9 gigawatts of electrical power at full capacity, a value more than double the current total energy consumption of the state of Utah.

The initiative is associated with entrepreneur and investor Kevin O'Leary, known for his participation in the television show "Shark Tank." The site chosen for the project is located near a major gas pipeline that traverses the region, which could supply the facility directly through dedicated natural gas power plants built on-site.

Concerns are primarily raised about the thermal load generated by the complex. Robert Davies, a physics professor at Utah State University, estimates that in addition to the 9 GW needed to power servers, cooling systems, and related infrastructure, the data center would produce an additional 7-8 GW in the form of wasted heat. Overall, the project would thus have a thermal load close to 16 GW, "the equivalent of about 23 atomic bombs of energy released into this local environment every single day," said Davies.

According to the professor, the situation would be particularly critical because the thermal energy would not be dissipated over distributed areas, as is normally the case for electricity consumed by homes and businesses, but would be concentrated entirely in the same valley that would host the facility. The geographical configuration of Hansel Valley, described as a kind of natural basin, could further promote the stagnation of warm air.

Preliminary simulations from the researcher indicate a possible increase in local temperatures of up to about 5 °F during the day and up to 28 °F at night. Ben Abbott, an ecology professor at Brigham Young University who analyzed Davies' estimates, believes that a similar thermal increase could profoundly alter the area's ecosystem, accelerating evaporation, desertification, and degradation of the land surrounding the Great Salt Lake. "This is the difference between Utah's semi-arid climate and the Sahara Desert," Abbott stated. "This would radically change the landscape."

Experts also highlight the risk of worsening the fine dust problem. The area is already experiencing a gradual decrease in water levels, and the exposure of the lakebed is increasing the dispersion of saline dust into the air. An increase in temperatures and drought could further exacerbate the phenomenon.

There are also several questions regarding the energy technologies that will actually be adopted. Some analysts hypothesize the use of large-scale distributed natural gas industrial generators, while Davies suspects that the project might rely on Allam Cycle systems, a relatively recent technology that uses pure oxygen in natural gas combustion to reduce traditional emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur. However, this process does produce large quantities of hot water that would need to be cooled before being returned to the environment. According to the professor's estimates, enormous industrial ventilation systems would be needed, or the use of underground aquifers as thermal dissipators, with possible consequences still poorly understood for the local ecosystem.

Despite the criticisms, local authorities have approved the project. Supporters believe that Stratos could represent a significant economic and infrastructural opportunity for Utah, while environmentalists are calling for deeper analysis into the long-term effects of an unprecedented facility in the region.