O’Leary agrees to cut Stratos data center area in half following letter from Utah Senate president

After stunning public outcry, celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary agreed to cut in half the footprint of the massive data center campus he is pursuing in northern Utah. Under the deal the 40,000-acre campus would be reduced to 20,000.

Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, who is also the chair of the Military Installation Development Authority, the independent state entity that’s facilitating the Stratos Project development, said the concessions were in response to his public letter calling for O’Leary to scale the project back by 75%, to about 10,000 acres.

“The response to the demand letter I sent demonstrates that public engagement mattersand that Utahns’ concerns are being heard. I will continue working to ensure those concerns lead to meaningful changes, stronger safeguards and greater accountability,” Adams, a Layton Republican, said in a statement.

The agreement also includes new water protection commitments aimed to support the Great Salt Lake, Adams said, “while also reducing the overall effective size of the proposed project area by 75%.”

The developer has agreed to set aside thousands of acres for open space, wildlife protection and agricultural uses, according to Adams. There are also commitments to include heat-capture technology and independent environmental reviews in the campus plans. 

Hundreds cry out as Box Elder commissioners wave in massive data center

The size reduction is an about face after O’Leary initially told The Salt Lake Tribune that he wasn’t backing down from his original proposal despite Adams’ letter.

“The good news for Utahns is that this process is still in its earliest stages — no approvals or permits have been applied for, let alone issued. There must be written commitments in place, and the proposal must undergo a full permitting and environmental review process, just like any other development project in Utah.” Adams, who is running for reelection against two Republican challengers, said in the statement.

The Stratos Project caused uproar in the state not only because of its size, but also because the process, facilitated by MIDA, was quicker than regular public processes and allowed little opportunity for community feedback before it was put to a vote by Box Elder County commissioners. 

A group of Box Elder County residents is also appealing to a judge after their request to attempt a voter referendum on the commissioners’ decision was denied by the county attorney.