06/09/2026
Thank you Senator Brady Brammer!
I have opened a bill file to restore clear limits on the Military Installation Development Authority, commonly known as MIDA, which is the entity that approved the Box Elder County Data Center.
MIDA was originally created to help address unique land-use needs connected to military installations, particularly around Hill Air Force Base. That is a legitimate and important purpose. Utah should support military readiness, protect critical facilities, and make sure our service members have the tools and infrastructure they need.
But over time, MIDA’s reach has expanded into projects that appear increasingly distant from that core mission, including large-scale developments with only tenuous ties to military training or facility security. When a military land-use authority is being used to advance hotels, ski resorts, data centers, or other major private developments, it is fair to ask whether the authority has drifted beyond its proper scope.
The bill I am working on would refocus MIDA on its original purpose. The goal is to limit MIDA’s land-use authority to decisions within 25 miles of a military base and only when those decisions are directly related to troop training or the security of military facilities. Recreational projects and AI/data center projects would be excluded unless the land and facilities are entirely owned by the United States government.
As we move through drafting and stakeholder conversations, the language will continue to be refined. But the principle is straightforward: MIDA should keep the main thing the main thing. Military development authority should serve military readiness, not become a broad development shortcut under the banner of “military.”
