Proposed mega data center draws concerns over ‘heat island effect’
News ClipLocal News 8·Box Elder County, UT·5/2/2026
A proposed mega data center, named Project Stratos, in northwestern Box Elder County, Utah, is raising concerns due to its potential 'heat island effect'. The project, led by Kevin O'Leary's company, is designed to span 40,000 acres and is expected to consume up to 9 gigawatts of power to support AI for military and cloud-computing requirements.
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Increases in temperatures around so-called urban heat domes, or heat islands, could apply to a massive data center that is proposed for the northwestern side of Box Elder County. Project Stratos, headed by "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary's company, would span some 40,000 acres and produce up to 9 gigawatts of power at full scale, all to help serve artificial intelligence to the military and cloud-computing needs.