O’Leary trims Utah AI data center plan to 20,000 acres

Investor Kevin O’Leary has agreed to significantly reduce the scale of his proposed Stratos artificial intelligence data center campus in Utah following pressure from state officials and sustained public opposition. The project, originally planned to span 40,000 acres in Box Elder County, will now be cut by approximately half.

O’Leary’s decision came in a formal response sent Thursday to Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams. This followed a demand letter from Adams on Monday, which called for a 75 percent reduction of the project to about 10,000 acres. Adams cited concerns over water use, environmental impacts, and the need for greater transparency and conservation commitments. In his reply, O’Leary agreed to remove two parcels of land, reducing the project’s footprint to roughly 20,000 acres. He also committed to entering a memorandum of understanding with the Utah Department of Natural Resources to protect wildlife, agricultural land, and open space.

The Senate President described O’Leary’s concessions as a positive step forward, stating that the concerns raised by residents are valid and that meaningful changes were needed. However, O’Leary suggested the political pressure...