The Utah State Legislature took some initial steps to begin regulating large-scale data centers in the state. On Wednesday, the legislature’s Economic Development & Workforce Services Interim Committee voted unanimously to open a bill file to define in Utah State Code exactly what a large-scale data center is. … Celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary’s plans for a massive data center in Box Elder County has sparked significant public uproar.  … “We want to make sure there are clear guidelines to protect the environment,” Rep. [Paul] Cutler told FOX 13 News. “To make sure that data centers, especially in the Great Salt Lake Basin, the Colorado River Basin, there are strict guidelines on water use.”

Other data center water use news:

• Las Vegas Review-Journal: Henderson City Council introduces moratorium on new data centers
• The Nevada Independent: Henderson considers data center pause amid construction boom across Clark County
• Agri-Pulse: California lawmakers consider strict controls on data centers