Will Kevin O’Leary’s massive Utah data center actually get built? Don’t count on it, says this energy analyst (opens in new tab)

A Utah data center proposed by Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary is expected to be massive. The project—called Stratos but also referred to as Wonder Valley—would be 40,000 acres, or roughly double the size of Manhattan. It could consume up to 9 GW of power, which is the entire state’s average electricity use. That is, if it ever gets built. Right now, the reality of a 9 GW Utah data center doesn’t seem all that likely to Olivia Wang, a research analyst at Sightline Climate, an energy transit...