Box Elder County Clears Path for O’Leary-Backed 9 GW “Wonder Valley” AI Campus
Kevin O’Leary’s Wonder Valley project—a proposed 9 GW hyperscale AI data center and energy campus in western Utah designed to generate its own power—moved a step closer to reality after Box Elder County commissioners approved the Stratos Project Area, clearing the final local hurdle for development.
The project, led by O’Leary Digital in partnership with the Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA) and West GenCo LLC, spans roughly 40,000 acres in Utah’s Golden Spike District. Initial deployment targets about 3 GW, scaling to a long-term goal of 9 GW—placing it among the largest planned AI infrastructure sites globally. The campus is positioned to support hyperscale AI training workloads, with explicit alignment to emerging architectures such as 800G and 1.6T optical interconnects and co-packaged optics (CPO).
A central feature is the “Shadow Grid” model, which relies on on-site power generation using natural gas sourced via the Ruby Pipeline. This approach is designed to avoid multi-year utility interconnection delays that have slowed data center expansion in established hubs like Northern Virginia and Silicon Valley. Developers also highlighted environmental measures, including air-cooled thermal management strategies aimed at minimizing impact on the Great Salt Lake watershed, alongside ongoing negotiations around water rights and infrastructure obligations.
• Project: Wonder Valley / Stratos Project Area
• Location: Box Elder County, Utah (Golden Spike District)
• Developer: O’Leary Digital (with West GenCo LLC)
• State partner: Utah Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA)
• Site size: ~40,000 acres
• Power strategy: On-site generation via Ruby Pipeline natural gas (“Shadow Grid”)
• Phase 1 capacity: ~3 GW
• Full buildout target: 9 GW
• Target tenants: Hyperscalers (Amazon, Microsoft, Google expected candidates)
• Design focus: AI training clusters, liquid cooling, 800G / 1.6T optics, CPO
• Key partners: Gensler (architecture), Clayco (construction), KPMG (financial advisory)
“Utah continues to lead the nation in innovation and opportunity,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. “The Stratos Project Area represents the kind of forward-thinking investment that strengthens our economy, supports national security, and creates meaningful opportunities for Utah families.”
Further Reference:
- Official Project Site: wondervalley.io
- Parent Firm: olearyventures.com/digital
- Regulatory Body: mida.utah.gov
🌐 Analysis: Wonder Valley reflects a structural shift in AI infrastructure strategy where power availability dictates site selection and timelines. By vertically integrating energy generation, the project attempts to decouple compute expansion from grid bottlenecks—an approach that could influence future hyperscale builds if execution and regulatory approvals hold. At 9 GW, the site would also represent a significant proving ground for next-generation optical networking, including 1.6T pluggables and CPO, as well as large-scale liquid cooling deployments.
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