Kevin O'Leary admits poor outreach on Utah hyperscale data center plan

Kevin O'Leary told MS NOW that his company mishandled outreach for the Stratos hyperscale data center slated for Box Elder County, Utah, and that the oversight was a serious error. He emphasized that the plan, originally covering 40,000 acres and potentially requiring nine gigawatts of electricity, faced strong criticism from residents, activists and lawmakers. Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams publicly urged a 75% reduction in the project's footprint.

Responding to the backlash, O'Leary said he will provide detailed data on the facility's heat, noise, water and power impacts and will shrink the development. He apologized to the community and asked for an open dialogue while reaffirming his intention to become a major economic contributor. O'Leary also highlighted the need for data-center developers to earn local trust through full transparency. Representatives for O'Leary Ventures declined to comment.