Vetted by NeuralPress's Multi-Agent Verifier for strict factual validity and event relevance. Our compliance engine cross-checks and filters search results to ensure zero false correlations or misleading content.
Energy Consumption Projection
Comparison of expected project energy consumption vs current state usage
Primary Sources
'Shark Tank' star Kevin O'Leary defends Utah data center
The project was approved, sparking major backlash among residents, with some calling it "alarming" and "irresponsible." Furthermore, Darren Parry, a Native American activist, spoke out against the project, encouraging people outside of Box Elder County to protest against the data center.
Kevin O'Leary disputes environmental concerns of his data center project
Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Kevin O'Leary arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP) BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah — Many people in Box Elder County and across the state of Utah are concerned about the impact that a 40,000-acre data center would have on the region's air quality, water, electricity consumption and other environmental concerns. Protesters decry lack of transparency, warn of environmental impact from Box Elder data center But Kevin O'Leary, one of the people spearheading the project, is trying to minimize these concerns, claiming that their methods will offset any impact. "Sustainability is at the heart of what we do in terms of all these proposals," O'Leary said in a video posted to X. O'Leary, famous for his role as an investor on "Shark Tank," said they plan to combine water-cooling and air-cooling for the "Stratos Project" data center in Hansel Valley, Utah. He also said that they "can" use alternative methods of generating power, like wind, solar and battery technology — although the plans available to the public so far indicate that it will rely on natural gas from the Ruby Pipeline. In Monday's county commission meeting, the commissioners and the Bear River Water Conservancy claimed that the water used by the data center is not used by the local residents, is not drinkable, and is privately owned. "I’m the only developer of data centers on earth that graduated from environmental studies," O'Leary said in his video posted Tuesday. "I'm pretty aware of what these concerns are... So if you're an environmentalist and you don't care about that stuff, of course you protest." O'Leary also claims that the protesters at Monday's meeting were bussed in and paid —"by somebody, I don't know who." I’m the only developer of data centers on earth that graduated from environmental studies. I'm pretty aware of what these concerns are. They are around air, water use, heat, noise pollution. So sustainability is at the heart of what we do in terms of all these proposals. We… pic.twitter.com/Qvob70uEmh— Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) May 5, 2026
Hundreds of Utahns file to block Kevin O'Leary's proposed massive data ...
Hundreds of Utahns file to block Kevin O'Leary's proposed massive data center campus over water concerns The true ecological and energy costs of the Stratos project remain unknown.
3 things to know about Utah's massive proposed data center
A proposed data center in northern Utah would generate and consume more than twice the electricity now used by the entire state if local officials approve it this week. Why it matters: Supporters say the "hyperscale" data center would create 2,000 jobs and help keep the U.S. competitive in the fast-moving field of AI.
