Utah Gov. Spencer Cox accused the Military Installation Development Authority of "mission creep" and pledged to push for major reforms to the state entity that controls land use over Deer Valley's East Village expansion.

"I think we need major reform when it comes to MIDA, and I will be pushing for that reform," Cox said at a press conference Thursday, Aug. 20.

Cox said he and the Utah Office of Economic Development should play a larger role in overseeing MIDA's projects, arguing that elected officials deserve more say over the authority's direction than they've had. He called the process behind MIDA's controversial Stratos data center approval "not good," according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

The same day Cox spoke, MIDA's own board was urging caution. State Sen. Jerry Stevenson, a MIDA board member, told colleagues to shelve data center discussions until after the 2027 legislative session, KPCW reported.

"I think it's really a good idea to leave it out until — unless something burns brightly, leave it alone until after the legislative session, if possible," Stevenson said at the Aug. 20 board meeting.

Stevenson anticipates "quite a bit of legislation" targeting data centers in the 2027 session, citing recent interim meetings where lawmakers examined the policy. He called data centers "probably as hot a topic as we have on the hill right now."

Why it matters locally

MIDA has held land use authority over much of the west side of the Jordanelle Basin since 2012, including the Deer Valley East Village site where developer Extell has proposed up to 600 workforce housing units. Decisions about MIDA's future scope and oversight could directly affect how that project moves forward.

The authority drew statewide attention after approving the Stratos hyperscale data center in Box Elder County in May, a project developed with celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary. Political commentators have speculated that backlash from the approval contributed to MIDA board chair J. Stuart Adams losing his GOP primary on June 23. Adams' term as board chair expires in March 2027.

What comes next

Stevenson noted the Utah National Guard remains "very interested in data centers here in Utah" to serve military needs, meaning pressure on MIDA won't disappear even as the board pauses. The 2027 legislative session, which typically begins in January, will be the next major venue for reform proposals.

Neither MIDA leadership nor Adams has publicly responded to Cox's reform call as of Aug. 25, according to available reporting.