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The proposed Stratos AI campus in Utah, promoted as Wonder Valley and associated with investor Kevin O’Leary, has stalled amid local opposition and legal disputes. Fudzilla reported on 2 October 2026 that it had not been formally abandoned, so the project’s ultimate fate remains unsettled.
What is the Stratos and Wonder Valley project?
Stratos and Wonder Valley are names used in reporting for the same proposed AI data-centre campus in Box Elder County, Utah. The plan was associated with investor Kevin O’Leary. The Verge’s 2026 investigation described an original vision of about 40,000 acres and nine gigawatts of proposed power capacity—more than twice Utah’s average power use, according to that investigation. Those are figures for a proposal, not a built campus or operating power supply. The Verge investigation transcript republished by eGov.mn
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Why did the project stall?
The proposal drew opposition over its scale and the prospect of substantial land and power use. Residents and campaigners also raised concerns about water supplies, the Great Salt Lake’s proximity, a planned natural-gas power installation, and how local officials and residents learned about the plan. These were reported concerns, not proof that every anticipated environmental impact occurred.
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The project’s path through the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and Box Elder County approvals also attracted scrutiny. The Verge’s investigation characterized the political backlash as having stopped the project in its tracks. That describes a loss of momentum, not a formal legal cancellation.
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What changed in the plan and in the county dispute?
Fudzilla reported that the project had been scaled back by about 20,000 acres from its original footprint. It also reported that Box Elder County rejected a referendum application challenging county consent, and that litigation over the rejection remained unresolved when the article was published on 2 October 2026. The available reporting does not establish the court’s status after that date. Fudzilla’s 2 October 2026 report
What is known about the water-rights issue?
In May 2026, Axios reported that Utah HB 60 narrowed the types of objections state officials could consider in water-rights proceedings. Axios also reported that O’Leary Digital president Paul Palandjian said the project’s water-rights arrangements were being adjusted to fit its scope and phasing, with a resubmission expected. The sources cited here do not confirm whether a revised application was subsequently filed. Axios’s May 2026 report on Utah water law and the project
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Is the nine-gigawatt Utah data centre cancelled?
Not according to the latest status in the cited reporting. Fudzilla said on 2 October 2026 that the development had stalled but had not been formally abandoned. That is a status report as of that date, not a final determination of the project’s future. The material cited here does not establish later court, county, MIDA or state-agency action.
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