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O’Leary shrinking Utah data center after backlash
The revised plan cuts the footprint to one 20,000-acre parcel and lowers full-build power needs to 7.5 gigawatts, officials said.
- On Thursday, investor Kevin O'Leary agreed to cut over 20,000 acres from the proposed Stratos Project in Box Elder County, following Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams' demand for a 75% reduction.
- Initially planned for approximately 40,000 acres, the AI and defense campus faced intense public pushback over potential water usage, air quality impacts, and the project's massive scale in Box Elder County.
- Despite initially calling the 75% reduction request 'outrageous,' O'Leary committed in Thursday's letter to accepting industry-leading environmental stewardship conditions and working with state agencies on permitting and transparency.
- Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams called the offer a 'positive step forward,' noting the process remains in early stages and requires further commitments on conservation and public transparency.
- Last Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed an executive order setting a 'higher bar for data center development in Utah' with frameworks addressing water resources, air quality, utility rates, and wildlife.
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Kevin O’Leary admits he ‘screwed up’ initial rollout of Box Elder County data center
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — After agreeing to scale down the Stratos Project data center in Box Elder County, Kevin O’Leary is admitting that he ‘screwed up’ the initial rollout of the plans and saying that he should have addressed environmental concerns from the beginning. After agreeing to the demands in the letter sent by […]
·Idaho, United States
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'I Have No Choice': Kevin O'Leary Agrees To Shrink 40,000-Acre AI Project After Uproar
Kevin O'Leary plans to reduce the size of his Utah AI data centre project following criticism from state leadership, aiming for transparency and conservation to address public concerns.
·United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left8Leaning Right5Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution38% Left, 38% Center
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources lean Left, 38% of the sources are Center
38% Center
L 38%
C 38%
R 24%
Factuality
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