A proposed multi-gigawatt artificial intelligence and energy campus in western Utah is facing escalating legal and political opposition, as local residents move to challenge county approvals through a formal referendum process.
The Stratos Project, a large-scale AI data center and energy development planned for Box Elder County, has entered a new phase of public scrutiny following filings by community groups seeking to overturn recent county decisions that authorized the project’s advancement.
Referendum push
The referendum effort targets approvals granted by county officials earlier in May that enabled the creation of the project area in partnership with the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), effectively unlocking the framework for the proposed 9-gigawatt campus.
Local organizers, operating under a coalition known as BEAR (Box Elder Accountability Referendum), have initiated legal steps to place the project on the ballot, giving voters the opportunity to either affirm or reject the development. County officials are now reviewing the filings to determine whether the resolutions qualify for referendum under Utah law.
Total planned footprint
The Stratos Project is one of the largest proposed infrastructure developments in the United States, spanning roughly 40,000 acres and designed as a self-powered AI and energy campus. The project is structured to generate its own electricity on-site, primarily through natural gas, and is intended to support hyperscale computing workloads, including artificial intelligence and potential national security applications.
Supporters of the development argue the project could bring significant economic benefits to the region, including thousands of construction jobs, long-term employment opportunities, and substantial new tax revenue for Box Elder County. Projections tied to full buildout estimate annual fiscal contributions reaching into the tens of millions of dollars.
However, the project has drawn strong opposition from residents and environmental advocates who raise concerns about water usage, air emissions, and the scale of energy consumption. Critics have also questioned the speed of the approval process and the level of public input provided during early stages of planning.
In parallel with the referendum effort, regulatory scrutiny is also intensifying around environmental permitting, including air quality considerations tied to the project’s planned natural gas generation facilities.
The Stratos development remains in its early implementation phase, with initial construction plans still subject to legal review, financing milestones, and ongoing public hearings. If fully realized, the project is expected to unfold over multiple phases spanning more than a decade.
For now, the future of one of the largest proposed AI infrastructure campuses in the United States is increasingly dependent on both legal interpretation and public vote outcomes in Box Elder County.
The Stratos development in Utah comes amid a broader wave of multi-gigawatt AI infrastructure projects across the United States, where developers are increasingly pairing large-scale energy systems with hyperscale computing campuses. Similar momentum is visible in projects such as the Beacon Point AI data center campus in Texas, which is advancing under an EPCM-led delivery model designed to accelerate AI infrastructure deployment.
Stratos AI Data Center – Factsheet
Project Overview
- Project: Stratos Project (also referred to as Wonder Valley)
- Location: Western Box Elder County, Utah, USA
- Project type: AI data center and energy megacampus
- Total planned footprint: 40,000 acres
- Development model: Large-scale, self-powered industrial AI infrastructure campus
- Primary use: Artificial intelligence, hyperscale cloud computing, and high-performance computing workloads
Scale and Capacity
- Planned total power capacity: up to 9 gigawatts (GW) at full buildout
- Initial phase capacity: 1.5 GW
- Development timeline: Multi-phase buildout over approximately a decade
- Initial development footprint: 2,000 acres (Phase 1)
Energy Strategy
- On-site power generation model (off-grid design concept)
- Primary fuel source: natural gas generation
- Planned infrastructure includes connection to the Ruby Pipeline
- Designed for continuous, high-load computing operations
Investment and Financing
- Total projected investment: approximately $20 billion
- Phase 1 investment estimate: $4+ billion
- Early infrastructure and land preparation: $1 billion
- Financing strategy includes private capital raise and public incentive support through state-backed structures
Developers and Stakeholders
- Lead investor group: O’Leary Digital / O’Leary Ventures (Kevin O’Leary-backed initiative)
- Public-sector partner: Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA)
- Local jurisdiction: Box Elder County, Utah
Intended Customers
- Hyperscale cloud providers (major global cloud operators)
- Artificial intelligence infrastructure users
- U.S. government and national security-related computing workloads
- Enterprise AI and advanced computing firms
Recent Developments
- May 4, 2026 – Box Elder County and MIDA approve the Stratos Project area, formally launching the development framework
- May 6, 2026 – BEAR group files a referendum application to challenge the county’s approval
- May 7, 2026 – Developers withdraw the initial water rights application, signaling a revised submission plan
- May 11, 2026 – Deadline passes for air quality hearing requests, increasing regulatory scrutiny
- May 11–12, 2026 – County begins legal review of referendum filings under Utah law
