Box Elder County commissioners approved the Stratos Project, a 40,000-acre data center in Hansel Valley backed by Kevin O'Leary. The plan is projected to consume 9GW of power and cost more than $4 billion for its first phase. O'Leary frames the project as a way for the United States to lead in AI and support national defense through government and contractor services. The project has county and gubernatorial approval but still requires environmental and building permits. Construction is expected to take years, with no firm timeline. Residents and experts warn about environmental damage and additional strain on already overtaxed water supplies, and public backlash has been reported.
"Earlier this month, commissioners in Box Elder County signed off on the Stratos Project: a 40,000-acre data center stretching across the county's Hansel Valley. It's supposed to establish American AI dominance, but potentially at the expense of environmental damage and a strain on already overtaxed water supplies."
"The Stratos Project, backed by Shark Tank investor and venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary, is projected to be more than twice the size of Manhattan and consume 9GW of power - almost double the state's peak electricity demand in 2025. Its first phase is projected to cost more than $4 billion, according to Utah Money Watch."
"O'Leary positions it as a way for the US to become an AI superpower and bolster national defense by serving the government and "tech firm contractors." "It shows the Chinese and the rest of the world we are not messing around," he said during a Fox News interview last month."
"The project has obtained approval from the county and Gov. Spencer Cox, but it must still obtain environmental and building permits. Construction is expected to take years, with no firm timeline in sight. Its path from concept to approval, however, was remarkably short."
Read at The Verge
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