O'LEARY'S UTAH DATA CENTER PLAN FACES SCRUTINY

INDUSTRY DESK■ 1 MIN READ

FRI, OCT 2, 2026

■ AI-SUMMARIZED FROM 1 SOURCE ▸ TIMELINE

Kevin O'Leary's ambitious Wonder Valley project aims to build a 40,000-acre AI data center in Utah requiring nine gigawatts of power—more than double the state's average energy consumption. The Verge's investigation reveals significant challenges to the "Stratos" proposal.

The Shark Tank personality's data center ambitions hit obstacles during months of reporting by The Verge's Josh Dzieza. Wonder Valley would rank among the world's largest facilities if completed, requiring infrastructure capable of powering roughly 2.2 million homes. Utah's existing power grid capacity and water resources present logistical hurdles for a project of this scale. The state's current electrical infrastructure falls short of supporting such massive demand, and approval from local and state authorities remains uncertain. O'Leary's venture reflects broader competition in the AI infrastructure space, where companies race to secure computing capacity. However, the Wonder Valley proposal illustrates the practical limitations facing mega-scale data center development. The investigation examined permit applications, infrastructure requirements, and regulatory approvals necessary for the project's viability.

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► The Verge

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O'LEARY'S UTAH DATA CENTER PLAN FACES SCRUTINY

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