Kevin O'Leary on Data Center Misinformation

LinkedIn ^ | June 11, 2026 | Kevin O'Leary

[lasereye]

The challenge the entire industry faces is that in every single location, I don't care whether it's Michigan, West Virginia, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, if you announce you're doing a data center, all of a sudden you get a plethora of misinformation, like it's three times the size of Manhattan, it's so hot it's gonna melt a hole in the ground, the amount of water it's going to use, it's gonna suck the ocean dry. All of this stuff is just not true. I think as we get the real facts out, we'll turn this around. There seems to be an organized attempt to stop any development of power.

[lasereye]

Kevin O'Leary is trying to get a data center constructed in Utah. There's a video accompanying his post where he talks about the misinformation.

O'Leary has previously disclosed that they have traced organized opposition to data centers to foreign actors. He talked about that here. He didn't say who it is. I assume it's China.

Some of China's opposition to our data centers is actually out in the open.

This is my third post about this topic. On the two previous posts, people popped up saying basically "I don't like data centers". They have nothing to say about China apparently directing lies about data centers. Same thing on LinkedIn. It makes me wonder if they're working with the misinformation campaigns.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

There was a post on X today about the very high cost of using AI in business and the solution is to use Chinese DeepSeek for a 90% cost savings. LOL...you may save token cost today, but at what ULTIMATE cost? The loss of all your business IP? All your confidential data? Loss of American leadership?

[Mariner]

He threw up a bunch of straw men, then burned them down.

The last thing these people want known is the whole environmental impact of these Goliath data centers.

They’d never get another one built.

[MortMan]

You have to factor in incidents like the new data center (I’m not sure where) being built that was discovered to have not one but TWO unregistered and unmetered water connections to the local water system. The promises are made, but even a few violations of those promises negate any good will that has been generated.

For other instances, where local conditions became much worse than expected (e.g.: water and electric rates spiked), the suspicion is heightened, but not as much as illegal connections to the supply systems.

If Kevin wants to call these published cases “misinformation”, he needs to provide the data to disprove them.

[Sequoyah101]

Can’t quite put my finger on why but I feel like every word that comes out of Kevin O”Leary’s mouth on this subject is fairly dripping with conflict of interest.

I don’t trust a word the man says about this.

Just watched a news story about an East Texas data center. You can clearly hiear the hum of the ting from two miles away. Constantly.

[Wuli]

“The last thing these people want known is the whole environmental impact of these Goliath data centers.”

B.S.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

No one needs to justify their opposition. "It ruins the quality of life in our town" is plenty sufficient justification.

[lasereye]

It ruined the quality of life in your town?

[Wuli]

“being built that was discovered to have not one but TWO unregistered and unmetered water connections to the local water system.”

Kevin is saying most such reports are NOT substantiated - just unconfirmed allegations thrown out there.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

The guy is a creep. If anyone would have been on Epstein Island, it's he.

[escapefromboston]

If people don’t want it, they don’t want it. I don’t think they need any other reason.

[lasereye]

Tell us what the whole environmental impact is.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

https://x.com/i/grok/share/7ce05bd1e3bc4188b6608cd01273498f

The Stratos Project (also called Wonder Valley or Stratos AI data center) is a proposed hyperscale AI/data center campus in Box Elder County, Utah, backed by investor Kevin O'Leary and others. It was approved in May 2026 by the Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and Box Elder County, with plans for phased development focused on national security, AI, cloud computing, and defense operations.

utahcleanenergy.org

Size

• Initial proposal: ~40,000 acres (about 62 square miles or roughly 2.7 times the size of Manhattan) across multiple sites in Hansel Valley and nearby areas.
  snopes.com
• Scaled back: Developers later agreed to reduce the project area significantly (e.g., removing ~20,000 acres around sensitive spots like Locomotive Springs), with the data center campus itself likely on 10,000 acres or less; much of the land would remain undeveloped or used for other purposes like grazing or solar.
  sltrib.com
• It is positioned as potentially the world's largest AI data center at full buildout.
  forbes.com

Energy Demand

• Full capacity: Up to 9 GW (gigawatts) of power, generated on-site primarily via natural gas from the nearby Ruby Pipeline. This is more than double Utah's current statewide electricity consumption (Utah's peak/average demand is roughly 4 GW).
  utahcleanenergy.org
• Phase 1: Around 3 GW (still a huge addition, nearly matching the state's average use).
  instagram.com
• The project aims to avoid straining the regional grid by self-generating power, but it would require massive natural gas volumes (e.g., estimates suggest hundreds of billions of cubic feet per year, comparable to or exceeding Utah's total current gas use).
  utahcleanenergy.org

Water Demand

• Developer claims: Closed-loop cooling systems using on-site brackish (salty, non-potable) groundwater unsuitable for agriculture or drinking; minimal ongoing consumption (comparable to a large office complex for employee needs), with recycling and "zero evaporative loss" technologies like air-cooled or advanced systems (e.g., potential Allam cycle for power gen). They argue it won't impact farms, homes, or the Great Salt Lake.
  boxeldercountyut.gov
• Independent estimates (Utah Clean Energy, May 2026 analysis, for power generation only—not including data center cooling):
  • Combined-cycle combustion turbines (CCCT): ~16.6 billion gallons/year.
  • Reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE): ~2 billion gallons/year.
    utahcleanenergy.org
• These are preliminary and depend on technology choices. Experts note skepticism about unproven "waterless" claims at this scale, as the largest similar plants are far smaller. Actual data center cooling could add more demand in a drought-prone area near the stressed Great Salt Lake.
  snopes.com

Environmental Impact

• Emissions (power generation estimates):
  • CCCT: ~30 million tons CO₂/year (increasing Utah's total by ~55%); significant NOx (air pollutants).
  • RICE: Higher emissions (~41 million tons CO₂/year, ~75% increase for Utah); much worse NOx.
    utahcleanenergy.org
• Heat island effect: The facility's thermal output (servers + generators) could raise local temperatures (e.g., 2–5°F daytime, 8–12°F nighttime per some physics estimates), affecting wildlife, ecology, and potentially exacerbating water loss near the Great Salt Lake.
  sltrib.com
• Other concerns: Air quality degradation, potential strain on local ecosystems and bird habitats, noise/light pollution (though developers promise mitigation and dark-sky compliance). It could triple or more some local industrial emissions.
  utahcleanenergy.org
• Broader context: Utah faces drought; the project is in a sensitive basin. Protests have been significant, with calls for more environmental reviews. Developers highlight economic benefits (thousands of jobs, $30–108 million annual tax revenue) and national security, while critics argue impacts outweigh them. Plans are still evolving, with further studies likely required.
  snopes.com

Note: Many details remain preliminary or contested, as full engineering plans and independent validations are ongoing. Water/emissions figures are estimates based on standard gas tech; actuals could differ with innovations. For the latest, check official sources like Box Elder County or Utah state updates.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/4383388/posts?page=13#13

[lasereye]

What are you talking about? Has someone made allegations against him? And what does that have to do with data centers?

[DugwayDuke]

Sequoyah101 wrote: “Can’t quite put my finger on why but I feel like every word that comes out of Kevin O”Leary’s mouth on this subject is fairly dripping with conflict of interest.”

Can’t quite put my finger on why but I feel like every word of opposition to these data centers is fairly dripping with conflict of interest.

[lasereye]

I don’t see anything awful in there. Of course the CO2 emissions would be a reason for the climate change loons to oppose it.

[Metrobank]

To me, the issue as more of these Data Centers get built, they will be used to control the population. Many companies are already using AI to code, review employment applications and do other impersonal things.

[ridesthemiles]

I LIVE IN RURAL N NEVADA -—IN A VALLEY THAT IS ON PRIVATE WELLS & MOSTLY RETIRED.

WE ARE ALLOWED 2.2 ACRE FEET OF WATER A YEAR. FOR DRIP SYSTEMS/LIVESTOCK/HOUSEHOLD USE.

NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE “LAWNS”.

THAT IS A TOTAL OF 716,872 GALLONS A YEAR. ABOUT 1368 GALLONS A WEEK.

THE DATA CENTER THAT IS BARGING IN IS DEMANDING AN ALLOTMENT OF 20 ACRE FEET—— WHICH IS 6,517,020 GALLONS OF WATER.

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO OUR FACES “IF YOUR WELL RUNS DRY—IT IS YOUR PROBLEM”.

MR O’LEARY CAN KMA.

HE ISN’T ON THE BRINK OF PROPERTY LOSS THAT IS WORTH ZERO WITHOUT WATER.

ARROGANT BEYOND BELIEF..........

[cpdiii]

This is really about leftist verses the USA.

Dig down and you will find George Soros, his progressive Marxists allies, and China. Lose the AI war between the USA and China and they win world dominance.