Graded Light and tightening. 20 laws, orders, rulings and local actions, each with its source, reviewed 27 October 2026.
SB 132 (2025) gives Rocky Mountain Power 90 days to assess 100 MW loads and makes grid-connected suppliers pay for studies and upgrades; own power is optional.
No large-load tariff, minimum bill or collateral rule was found; SB 132 only governs who may supply a 100 MW load.
Five 180-day county pauses (Box Elder, Iron, Cache, Grand) and Clearfield's moratorium are in force; Executive Order 2026-03 sets standards for new projects.
State tax breaks remain available; a post-performance break was approved for Creekstone in Millard County in June 2026 with no new conditions.
HB 76 (2026 session) makes data centers using 75 acre-feet or more a year show their water source, a mandatory disclosure; energy reporting bills failed.
Scored on rules in force, 1 to 5. 5 is the most regulated. Pending rules set the arrow.
Utah's 2025 law (SB 132) lets loads of 100 MW or more contract with outside generators or build closed private systems if Rocky Mountain Power cannot serve them, the Public Service Commission's large-load rule R746-318 took effect at the start of 2026, and the state still offers data center tax breaks. In 2026 lawmakers passed a water disclosure bill (HB 76) and rejected energy reporting and non-disclosure agreement limits. The April 2026 approval of the Stratos campus in Box Elder County through the state's Military Installation Development Authority set off protests, lawsuits over a blocked referendum, a governor's executive order (EO 2026-03) and 180-day moratoria in Box Elder, Iron, Cache and Grand counties and Clearfield City. The Senate president, who chaired the authority, lost his June primary, as did two Box Elder commissioners.
The 2027 general session opens in late January 2027. Expect bills to define large-scale data centers (bill file opened June 17, 2026), reform the development authority, widen water disclosure and possibly require closed-loop cooling or environmental studies. County pauses end on a rolling basis: Iron County about November 22, 2026, Box Elder about December 7, 2026, Cache about December 20, 2026 and Grand about January 3, 2027; Iron County's planning commission recommended replacement rules in early October and Box Elder expects a draft at its November 19 planning commission with a commission vote in December. The Public Service Commission expects to finish its review of the large-load rule and issue guidance on a flexible large-load tariff by the end of 2026. The Stratos water rights change application filed October 15, 2026 enters a protest period in November. The referendum case in 1st District Court was still waiting for a ruling on the motions to dismiss and for summary judgment as of October 27, 2026, with no date set.
No statewide moratorium, but 5 local pauses are in force as of 27 October 2026, in Box Elder County, Cache County, Clearfield, Grand County, Iron County. Proposals and expired pauses are not counted.
Tightening. Utah is graded Light, which means incentives in place and few new obligations. Stratos backlash is pushing a pro-development state toward oversight. The outlook above says what is pending.
Utah sits in The West outside California. The grid operator decides how a new large load is studied, what it must bring or pay, and whether it can be curtailed first; the state decides siting, permits, tariffs and incentives.
No. Utah's data center incentives were not pulled back in 2025 or 2026 as of 27 October 2026.
On Genloop's five-line rubric (1 least regulated, 5 most) Utah scores grid connection 2, power rates 1, siting and land use 3, tax treatment 1, permits and water 3, a mean of 2.0. The most regulated line is siting and land use: Five 180-day county pauses (Box Elder, Iron, Cache, Grand) and Clearfield's moratorium are in force; Executive Order 2026-03 sets standards for new projects.
20 items: each is a law, order, tariff, ruling, utility action or local decision that changes what a data center must do, pay or disclose, or where it may be built. Failed and pending measures are marked. Each links to its source.
In early October 2026 the planning commission recommended an ordinance for data centers of 50 MW IT load or more and power plants of 50 MW or more, with a water cap of 50,000 gallons a day, closed-loop, dry or other efficient cooling, noise and outreach rules, and no non-disclosure agreements for county staff; smaller data centers could seek a conditional use permit. Public comment continued October 12 and the county commission had not voted as of October 9, 2026.
Source: kuer.orgOn October 15, 2026 O'Leary Digital Utah DC Sub I, LLC filed with the Utah Division of Water Rights to change irrigation water rights (Water Right 13-2) to supply the data center, describing 11 data center clusters, a 7.5 GW on-site gas generation fleet and closed-loop cooling with 90 percent recovery. The application is advertised for two weeks and then open to protests for 20 days.
Source: ksl.comThe City Council voted unanimously on September 8, 2026 for a moratorium of up to 180 days on development activity to establish, convert buildings for or expand data centers while the city reviews its land use rules.
Source: standard.netThe county attorney rejected the referendum applications on May 28, 2026, saying the county's resolutions were administrative. Residents sued in 1st District Court in early June to get a public vote, and a second suit alleges a civil rights violation. The county and O'Leary Digital have moved to dismiss, the residents' group BEAR has asked for summary judgment, and both sides want a decision without a trial. The case turns on whether the county's consent was a legislative act and on a 2022 law (SB232) that makes consent to the development authority 'irrevocable'. As of September 15, 2026 Judge Spencer Walsh had not ruled and no timeline was set; no ruling was found as of October 27, 2026.
Source: sltrib.comIn August 2026 Governor Cox said the authority that approved Stratos needs 'major reform' and that he supports extending water disclosure to closed-loop systems and would accept a closed-loop cooling mandate for new projects.
Source: kuer.orgThe County Commission unanimously approved a temporary land use regulation on July 7, 2026 pausing acceptance, processing and approval of applications for data centers, data center power plants and related digital infrastructure for 180 days, to about January 3, 2027, while it writes permanent standards.
Source: sltrib.comThe Public Service Commission's large-load rule (Utah Admin. Code R746-318, implementing Utah Code 54-26) took effect at the start of 2026 and large-load contracts are being filed under it. In Dockets 25-R318-01 and 24-035-43 (consolidated with a review of Rocky Mountain Power's line extension policy) the PSC took proposed amendments to June 16, 2026 and further comments after July 22, 2026, and said it expects to finish and issue guidance on a flexible large-load tariff by the end of 2026.
Source: pscdocs.utah.govPassed unanimously on June 10, 2026 for unincorporated land while the county writes zoning and development standards; it runs to about December 7, 2026. It does not touch Stratos, where the county handed land-use authority to the state authority for 50 years. As of October 9, 2026 no replacement ordinance had been adopted; a draft is expected at the November 19 planning commission meeting with a county commission vote likely in December.
Source: upr.orgCounty commissioners approved project areas for two large campuses between Fillmore and Delta after eight public hearings, reported June 3, 2026; Creekstone was already under construction. Both plan to generate their own power, and the state approved a post-performance tax break for Creekstone. Opposition has been limited compared with Box Elder.
Source: kjzz.comThe County Council voted 6-0 on June 23, 2026 to stop accepting or reviewing data center applications for unincorporated land for 180 days, effective immediately, to about December 20, 2026, while it writes permanent zoning rules. No applications were pending.
Source: upr.orgOn June 17, 2026 the Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee voted unanimously to open a bill file setting one definition of a large-scale data center in state code, since the code now defines large data centers differently in different places. Nothing can pass before the 2027 general session without a special session.
Source: kpcw.orgAfter a public letter from Senate President Stuart Adams, who chairs the development authority, asking for a 75 percent cut, backer Kevin O'Leary agreed, announced June 4, 2026, to reduce the project area from 40,000 to 20,000 acres and add commitments on open space, water protection for the Great Salt Lake, heat capture and independent environmental review. The October 2026 water rights application describes a roughly 10,000-acre campus with a 2,500-acre development footprint.
Source: idahocapitalsun.comSigned May 29, 2026. It directs state agencies to evaluate large data center projects against eight principles: protecting the Great Salt Lake and other water, air quality, rural economic growth, wildlife, utility ratepayers, energy capacity expansion consistent with those principles, 'pro-human' AI and meaningful public comment.
Source: swlaw.comOrdinance 2026-13, adopted May 26, 2026, bars acceptance and processing of new and incomplete applications for data centers, data center power plants and utility-scale solar for 180 days, to about November 22, 2026. Ordinance 2026-18 (August 10, 2026) exempted battery storage projects with conditional use permits issued before May 26.
Source: ironcountyut.govIn Docket 26-035-05 the Public Service Commission on April 10, 2026 approved a settlement on Rocky Mountain Power's application for a large-load service contract between PacifiCorp and an unnamed large-load customer, and denied a motion for access to materials marked for regulator access only.
Source: psc.utah.govThe Juab County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit on April 15, 2026 for Nebo North LLC's campus near Mona, up to 10 buildings of about 300,000 square feet on 361 acres, with up to 750 MW requested from Rocky Mountain Power under SB 132 and possible on-site gas generation. No site plan had been filed as of early September 2026.
Source: sltrib.comThe Military Installation Development Authority, which can bypass local land-use rules, approved the project in April 2026 and the county commission consented in May 2026, transferring land-use authority over the Stratos area to the authority for 50 years. As of June 4, 2026 the Senate president said no approvals or permits had been applied for and the project must go through full permitting and environmental review.
Source: upr.orgData Center Water Transparency Amendments, effective May 6, 2026. New large data centers (10,000 square feet or more, withdrawing 75 acre-feet a year or more, beginning operations on or after July 1, 2026) must notify the local water provider and report location, estimated withdrawal, discharge and reuse plans to the Division of Water Rights 90 to 360 days before construction, then report actual withdrawals annually by July 1. Land use authorities must notify the state before approving such a project. Fines of up to $100 a day for missing reports.
Source: le.utah.govHB 585 would have required large data centers to report expected and annual energy use. SB 318 would have limited non-disclosure agreements between developers and government bodies. Both died in the 2026 session.
Source: breatheutah.orgFor loads of 100 MW or more, Rocky Mountain Power has 90 days to assess whether it can serve. If not, the customer may contract with other generators over the utility's wires or build a closed private system with no grid connection. Grid-connected suppliers register with the Public Service Commission and pay for studies, upgrades and transmission service.
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