O'Leary Digital Plans Massive Data Center in Utah, Faces Local Opposition
O'Leary Digital, a company associated with investor Kevin O'Leary, announced plans for an unprecedented 40,000-acre data center in an unincorporated part of Box Elder County, Utah. Despite assurances regarding environmental design and tax benefits, the project, dubbed Project Stratos, has quickly generated opposition from locals concerned about its environmental impact and the lack of transparency in its announcement.
Kevin O'Leary, investor and "Shark Tank" personality, through his company O'Leary Digital, revealed plans in late April to build a $100 billion, 40,000-acre data center in an unincorporated section of Box Elder County, Utah. The project, named Project Stratos, is touted as being located far from residential areas to mitigate noise and plans to use a "closed loop" system for cooling with recycled water, avoiding local water diversion.
Paul Palandjian, CEO of O'Leary Digital, stated the facility would pipe in natural gas for energy, bypassing the electric grid, and committed to an estimated $30 million in annual taxes to support local services. County officials have acknowledged this agreement.
However, the project has already drawn significant opposition, mirroring controversies in other parts of the U.S. Locals, including Gabby Finlayson, head of Elevate Strategies, expressed concerns about the environmental impact on "drought-ridden and wildfire-prone" Utah and criticized the perceived secrecy surrounding the project's announcement.