EPA Repeals, AI Data Centers, and Utah’s Environmental Future
Connor Saumsiegle, May 4th, 2025 (998 words | 4 minutes)
“Whether the pollution comes from Utah or is foreign-borne, as citizens living in the valley and the Wasatch Front, we will have to grapple with the consequences.”
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On April 21, 2026, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to repeal the Biden administration’s decision to classify Utah’s air pollution as “serious.” Doing so would place Utah in the “moderate” category, allowing businesses to operate under less stringent regulations and putting the Utah Department of Environmental Quality under less pressure.
This is on the heels of Kevin O’Leary’s proposed AI data center in Box Elder County, which has been approved by the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), and is expected to be powered by a natural gas power plant that generates 9 gigawatts of energy. But that same power plant has the potential to increase carbon dioxide emissions by “more than 50%,” according to Kevin Perry, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Utah, who spoke to Utah News Dispatch.
The justification for this decision, according to the head of the EPA Lee Zeldin, is that the previous designation was “unduly burdensome” and “unfairly penalized Americans for pollution caused by other nations with weaker environmental standards.”
The other nations, in this case, primarily refers to China.
The proposal ultimately aims to repeal reporting obligations, compliance programs, and credit provisions for enterprises, outside of power plants and other stationary oil-and-gas facilities (i.e., gas stations or incinerators), that produce greenhouse gases, such as mining operations.
The “serious” status, ultimately, meant the Utah government had to be stricter regarding permitting and planning, which then required businesses to invest more in emission-reducing measures.
A final decision will be made after the 30-day comment period is over.
Although the Utah Department of Environmental Quality has assured Utahns that they will continue to work towards lowering emissions, with Tim Davis citing the fact that emissions were lowered the previous year, I can’t help but be concerned.
Whether the pollution comes from Utah or is foreign-borne, as citizens living in the valley and the Wasatch Front, we will have to grapple with the consequences. The particulates in the air (the most common being PM2.5) and the ozone are non-discriminatory. It will affect our lungs, and our children, regardless of where it’s from.
That’s not to say that I don’t understand where Sen. Curtis and Tim Davis are coming from. They are understandably frustrated, as likely other state legislators are too, for being held accountable for factors they have no control over. According to Curtis, Utah has been unfairly “penalized” for “too long.”
But the EPA designation as “serious” draws attention to the problem, if eyes aren’t already there, and, potentially even more importantly, puts pressure on businesses and industries to perform in a more environmentally friendly way that Utah needs right now.
With the Salt Lake drying up, creating the potential to introduce a host of new issues, and the increased chance of wildfires this year due to the reduced snowpack, we need to do everything that we can to make sure we are fighting for the natural beauty of the state we live in and our health.
The growing concern surrounding the Box Elder County AI data center should also be taken into account. If the estimates that it would raise CO2 emissions by more than 50% turn out to be correct, it has the possibility to exacerbate pollution issues the state already faces. Even if these effects aren’t felt locally, they contribute to a wider problem the United States faces regarding climate change.
Further, with the drought that challenges Utah, diverting water to more AI data centers might force citizens to bear the burden of poor regulation. Especially when Governor Cox urges speed, saying: “...We think that taking time makes things better or safer, it absolutely does not.”
Implementing the data center may well be a good idea by promoting Utah’s importance in the growing technological arms race. But, unlike Governor Cox, I think being methodical, and thereby making things slow, does improve outlooks. It allows us to understand the effects of implementation before it is too late, and create beneficial regulations accordingly.
In that same vein, we need to put pressure on businesses and our local government to push for legislation that will promote improving our air and preserving our environment; not harming it.
If the EPA repeal goes through, time will tell how private enterprises will react to the “moderate” designation. But it is my fear that, with reduced oversight and more lenient compliance programs, companies will take advantage of that to cut costs by increasing pollution. There is also the question of whether this repeal is, at least in part, being forwarded to allow for Kevin O’Leary’s natural gas power plant to be built.
And although some industry groups, such as the Utah Mining Association and the Utah Petroleum Association, have said in the past that placing tighter regulations on them, and thereby reducing emissions, will have a negative impact on Utah’s economy, I think that is a path we should consider taking.
When you consider the harmful effects ozone has, such as burning the lungs and increasing the rate of stillbirths, a healthy environment will be better for all of us, especially our children and the elderly, in the long run.
And with the potential for the Great Salt Lake to dry up, coupled with the current drought, we should do what we can to be aware of the environmental impacts of our decisions before implementing them. Even if that means greater regulation for businesses.
And, health aside, having a winter that is devoid of the gray smog that permeates the valley will make Salt Lake City a lot nicer to look. Especially during the cold, wintry months that tend to attract tourists.
While it might be easy to see the EPA designation as a “penalty” or bad for business and innovation, I think we should view it as a challenge, instead. A challenge to work together, hold our legislators and representatives accountable, and to create safe, smart, and innovative solutions for businesses that ensure Utah continues to be a beautiful place to live.
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Connor Saumsiegle is a resident of Herriman, Utah, and a member of the Forward Party.
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