Overview
- The Stratos or “Wonder Valley” plan from O'Leary Digital was originally pitched as a massive Box Elder County data center with a dedicated natural‑gas plant sized to supply roughly 9 gigawatts of power.
- The site received a Military Installation Development Authority classification that shortened permitting timelines and helped give the project a fast‑track feel.
- Local residents mounted sustained opposition over water use, air quality, noise and land impacts and pushed petitions and lawsuits aimed at forcing a local referendum.
- Political consequences followed: key boosters of the proposal lost primary races and the governor issued an executive order tightening rules for future data‑center projects in the state.
- Legal and project status remains unsettled as plaintiffs filed a defamation suit over O'Leary's public comments and motions to dismiss were filed while the proposal is reported to have been reduced to about 20,000 acres and roughly 1 gigawatt of capacity.