Wonder Valley - GoKawiil

Verge investigation details collapse of Kevin O'Leary's Utah mega data center plan

The Verge published a months-long investigation by reporter Josh Dzieza into a proposed 40,000-acre AI data center in Utah, known as Stratos or 'Wonder Valley' after Kevin O'Leary's Shark Tank nickname. The project, which envisioned nine gigawatts of power capacity, sparked intense local political backlash over how it was planned, announced and approved without residents' knowledge, and the effort has reportedly stalled.

theverge.com · 2026-10-01

Utah board approves Kevin O'Leary-backed Stratos data center project despite scrutiny

Kevin O'Leary promoted a 40,000-acre data center and gas power plant project called Wonder Valley (also known as Stratos) in Box Elder County, Utah, claiming it would become the world's largest data center with up to 9 gigawatts of on-site generation. The project moved forward through meetings with Gov. Spencer Cox and the Military Installation Development Authority in January, though county commissioners were not formally briefed until late March, after which their approval made MIDA the land use authority rather than the county.

theverge.com · 2026-10-01