Kevin O'Leary Cuts Utah Data Center Plan by 20,000 Acres as Backlash Ousts 2 Republicans
Updated
Updated · Business Insider · Jun 28
Kevin O'Leary Cuts Utah Data Center Plan by 20,000 Acres as Backlash Ousts 2 Republicans
2 articles · Updated · Business Insider · Jun 28
Summary
O'Leary agreed before Utah's June 23 primaries to shrink the Stratos Project by more than 20,000 acres from an initial 40,000-acre plan in the state's northwest corner.
The retreat followed petitions, packed town halls, protest campaigns and a lawsuit, as residents challenged data centers over noise, water use and strain on the electrical grid.
Utah's senate president and a Republican county commissioner who had backed the project were both voted out, showing the campus had become a live political issue.
O'Leary still says he will not back down, arguing the project would create jobs and strengthen US AI capacity, even after conceding he had no evidence for claims that China funded opposition.
The fight reflects a broader US backlash: more than 1,400 data centers had been built or approved by end-2025, and a March Gallup poll found over 70% of Americans oppose one near their homes.