Utah commissioners approve the Stratos Project, a 40,000-acre data center backed by Kevin O'Leary that is projected to consume 9GW of power and produce 30.2 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, despite environmental concerns.

Box Elder County commissioners approved the Stratos Project in partnership with real-estate developer West GenCo. The data center will span 40,000 acres across Hansel Valley and is backed by venture capitalist Kevin O'Leary. Its first phase is projected to cost more than $4 billion.

The facility will draw methane from the Ruby Pipeline and is projected to consume 448 billion cubic feet of gas per year—about 1.5 times the amount used by homes, businesses, and power plants in the state. Its thermal load of 16GW could require around 400 acres with thousands of industrial-scale cooling fans, according to a preliminary analysis by Utah State University physics professor Robert Davies.

Utah Clean Energy estimates the project could increase the state's carbon emissions by 55 percent and produce 30.2 million tons of carbon dioxide each year. Davies's analysis projects the cooling system could raise daytime temperatures by 2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures by 8 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit in the surrounding desert valley, potentially preventing condensation that desert ecosystems rely on.

The project has obtained approval from Box Elder County and Gov. Spencer Cox but still requires environmental and building permits. A group of citizens has applied for a referendum that could allow a vote to reverse the county's approval.