Apparently, Kevin O'Leary Wants To Build a $100 Billion AI Data Center in Utah, and Residents Are Enraged
It's hard to escape AI these days. That's because companies around the world are using it, and even people who try to avoid it keep finding it popping up in the apps and services they use every day. That has prompted a push to develop more data centers across the country, much to the dismay of local residents.
But, a proposal from Shark Tank'sKevin O'Leary is raising more than eyebrows. That's because Mr. Wonderful says he's hoping to build a $100 billion data center in rural Utah, and the people who live there were not afraid to tell him how they felt about it. You can learn more about the proposal and why locals are saying "no thanks" below.
Kevin O'Leary Wants to Build a Utah AI Data Center
O'Leary's "Stratos Project" is a $100 billion endeavor into the exploding AI industry, which Entrepreneur.com says would involve a 9-gigawatt center with a natural gas plant, to be built on about 40,000 acres in northwest Utah.
The publication states that the proposed campus would use more than twice the energy Utah currently consumes each calendar year. And while he claims that the project could bring as many as 10,000 construction jobs-and later 2,000 permanent positions at the data center-residents say that it's not worth the long-term challenges the data center will create.
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Among them is depleting the already-shrinking Great Salt Lake, which exposes surrounding communities to toxic dust.
"Let's do an environmental impact study and let's publish it transparently," Caroline Gleich, an environmental advocate and Park City resident, was quoted as saying about the project. "Let's give the community some time to review them and give experts some time to review them."
O'Leary's Project Has Been Approved
Unfortunately, those who oppose the project are now left to appeal its approval, since the Box Elder County commissioners approved it unanimously this week. However, they aren't letting that stop them, and they've proposed adding a referendum to November's ballot to overturn the commissioner's ruling.
Whether they have any luck-they need 5,000 signatures just to get it on the ballot-remains to be seen. That being said, they wouldn't be the first group to successfully fight back against AI data centers if so. NJ.com reports that the Monroe Township Council in Gloucester County recently permanently banned data centers by passing two ordinances that prohibit such operations.
And, if it is too late for Utah, hopefully, other nearby regions take a look at what they did in New Jersey and take some proactive steps to protect their towns as well. Otherwise, they too may find themselves worried about increased energy costs, water shortages, and the ongoing noise that many say these centers create for those who live in the areas where they are being built.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 12:04 PM.