Decoder with Nilay Patel · Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Utah agency MIDA (Military Installation Development Authority) played a key role in the initial approval of Kevin O'Leary's Stratos data center project, possessing the power to override local land use regulations. However, MIDA approved the project before the local county government, whose consent was also required, was even aware of it.
“It is partly because it ran through an agency called MITA. It's like a state development agency that deals with... projects that have some military purpose.”
“It also has a lot of power to override local land use. It basically becomes the municipal government in whatever project area it establishes.”
“The issue with this is by the time Kevin O'Leary is talking about it on Fox in late April, MIDA has approved it. The county has not. The county didn't even know about it until about a month before this happened.”