The 23-Atomic-Bomb Valley: Why #Utah’s #AIDataCenter Is A #ClimateDisaster In The Making

by Rex Freiberger
Wed, May 20, 2026 at 11:18 AM EDT

"Your state might be next. Utah counties just approved a data center so massive it would consume more power than the entire state currently uses, dump the heat equivalent of 23 atomic bombs daily into high desert, and potentially increase local #carbon emissions by 55%. Welcome to the #StratosProject—#KevinOLeary’s 40,000-acre bet that #AI supremacy trumps everything else."

[...]

"Utah State University physicist Robert Davies calculated #Stratos would dump 16 gigawatts of #ThermalLoad into the surrounding valley—energy equivalent to 23 Hiroshima-scale atomic bombs worth of #heat every single day. You’re trying to cool massive server farms by blowing hot desert air over hot radiators, Davies notes, which doesn’t work well in high-altitude, arid conditions.

"His projections show daytime temperatures rising 2-5°F and nighttime temperatures jumping 8-12°F across the region. #Desert #ecosystems depend on #NighttimeCooling to generate life-sustaining #condensation. Lose that temperature drop, and you’ve fundamentally altered how plants and animals survive in an already stressed #GreatSaltLakeWatershed."

Read more:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/23-atomic-bomb-valley-why-151828961.html

#Utah #WaterIsLife #ThermalPollution #HeatGeneration #Drought #GreatSaltLake #Environment #EnvironmentalCatastrophe #UtahPol #Datacenters #DatacentersSuck #SharkTank #AISucks

ICYMI: Kevin O’Leary might possibly be the most hated man in Utah right now. Read more in my newsletter.

Updated with the latest developments from Box Elder County and the Hansel Valley.

https://jodymacpherson.substack.com/p/opposition-mounts-as-olearys-data?r=b0efu

#pensionFunds #followthemoney #AIDataCentres #AIDataCenters #WonderValleyAlberta #WonderValleyUtah #Stratos #utahpolitics #cdnpoli #environment #climate #abpoli

A week after Utah Senate President Stuart Adams signed off on the Stratos AI data centre via his role as chair of the Military Installation Development Authority, his Political Action Committee (PAC) received $135,000 from five different companies/individuals who have done business with MIDA in the past.

There’s no evidence any have a direct connection to O’Leary’s AI data centre but they include construction companies, electrical contractors and developers.

Each made $20-40,000 donations, doubling the amount the PAC already had in its bank account.

“Adams is fighting for his political life in the most competitive re-election campaign of his career.”

https://utahpolitics.news/stuart-adams-pac-mida-donors-data-center-approval/

#AIDataCentres #AIDataCenters #WonderValleyAlberta #WonderValleyUtah #Stratos #Utah #utahpolitics #cdnpoli #ableg #environment #climate

Kevin O'Leary has combined the Utah project with the Alberta project together on ONE website.

That's...unique.

https://olearydigital.ai

#AIDataCentres #AIDataCenters #WonderValleyAlberta #WonderValleyUtah #Stratos #Utah #utahpolitics #cdnpoli #ableg #environment #climate #greenweb

Remember when Microsoft made promises about #datacenters and how they wouldn't be bad for people?

Well #KevinOLeary 🇨🇦(Sharktank) is taking another route and is pushing the #Stratos project in #Utah, an #AI data center twice the size of Manhattan❗️

Not only is it threatening Utah’s power grid and the Great Salt Lake, but O’Leary is now attacking local critics like #GabiFinlayson 💚 on Fox national TV, calling them 🇨🇳 “Chinese spies” just for standing up for their 🇺🇸 state 🤯

https://video.edu.nl/w/5VB3LQnRDfz6XJcEQ9TNCL

In five short weeks, Kevin O’Leary’s Utah version of Wonder Valley has thrown the state into a massive conflict over water, air pollution, heat islands, and the community benefits of AI data centres.

Throw in questions about property rights, accusations of paid protesters, a mysterious Department of War connection, and a Chinese government interference conspiracy…well, you’ve got a story.

Here’s my update on how a Canadian celebrity investor has shaken a US state facing a drought and water crisis.

https://www.theenergymix.com/opposition-mounts-as-olearys-data-centre-approved-in-drought-stricken-utah/

#AIdatacentres #AIDataCenters #technology #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli #sustainability #AIhyperscalers #WonderValleyAlberta #Stratos #WonderValleyUtah #GreatSaltLake #drought #water

Wow. A #datacenter twice the size of #manhattan and they are going to use #lng to power it.

#ai #utah #stratos #oleary #emissions

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/13/utah-approves-datacenter-backlash

‘Irresponsible’: backlash as Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan

Facility would require more power than entire state uses and suck up vast amount of water in drought-stricken area

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/13/utah-approves-datacenter-backlash

#Stratos #AI #datacenters #environment #power #water #droughts #technology