Data Centers Expansion Eyes a 40,000-Acre Campus in Utah

Data centers expansion accelerates as Kevin O’Leary and partners propose a massive 40,000-acre, 9 GW project in Utah’s Box Elder County.

April 30, 2026

Valerija I.

Kevin O’Leary and partners propose a 40,000-acre, 9 GW data center in rural Utah.
The project could represent over 20% of current US data center capacity.
Approval awaits from Box Elder County and local entities.
Development may generate $108M in annual local taxes and 2,000 jobs.

Key Takeaways

Industry Heavyweight Targets Data Centers

The WSJ reports that investor and television personality Kevin O’Leary has partnered with local groups. They plan one of the largest data centers in the US. The proposed campus spans 40,000 acres in Box Elder County, Utah. It would anchor a large mixed-use development. The project could require up to 9 gigawatts of on-site power generation.

The venture involves WestGen and support from Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), which controls a portion of the land. O’Leary and his group await final county approval after a decision was postponed for further review.

Scale and Strategy

If constructed, the data centers would constitute more than 20% of the nation’s operational capacity, according to Cushman & Wakefield. The initial phase calls for 3 GW, with each gigawatt representing a $15B investment. At the same time, lenders have already committed billions to similar AI infrastructure builds, signaling strong capital support for large-scale projects in Utah and beyond. Power would be produced via natural gas turbines linked to Utah’s Ruby pipeline, keeping the project independent of the local grid.

Much of the acreage is planned for related industrial and AI manufacturing uses. O’Leary said development financing will hinge on securing a hyperscale anchor tenant.

Economic, Local, and National Implications

MIDA projects the campus could generate $108M in annual tax revenue for the county and create roughly 2,000 permanent jobs. The state is pushing for an expedited approval process, citing competition from other large-scale data centers globally—especially in China—as a strategic driver.

Local concerns about environmental impact, land use, and utility pressure remain. The commission’s upcoming decision will determine whether this data centers megaproject moves ahead in what O’Leary has dubbed “Wonder Valley.” He is pursuing a similar large-scale data center development in Alberta, Canada, still pending permits.