Key developments
O'Leary Digital reveals Utah mega-campus vision
O'Leary Digital, chaired by Kevin O'Leary, released initial renderings for the proposed Stratos project in unincorporated Box Elder County, Utah. The concept shows a campus with ten 100MW data center buildings, another 100MW facility, a 1GW natural-gas plant with battery storage, and a 3,000-acre solar array; the broader project spans about 40,000 acres across three sites and one site is envisioned for a 7.5GW to 9GW power-and-data-center complex. County, MIDA, subdivision, site-plan, air, and water approvals are still ahead, and Utah regulators say no permit applications have been filed yet.
Why it matters
It is one of the largest proposed U.S. data-center campuses, but the approval path could keep it years from construction.
Sources & driving stories
EAST IDAHO NEWS
East Idaho News coverageGoogle announces $15B Missouri infrastructure investment
Google announced a $15 billion infrastructure investment for New Florence in Montgomery County, Missouri, describing it as one of the state's largest technology investments. The company said Missouri Senate Bill 4 would cover 100% of electricity usage and directly associated infrastructure costs tied to data-center operations, and it also announced a $20 million Energy Impact Fund for utility relief and workforce training. Google said it already has contracts for more than 1 gigawatt of new generation in Missouri and is backing more than 500 megawatts of additional capacity through Ameren.
Why it matters
It signals a major hyperscale buildout paired with a state-specific power-cost framework and local offsets.
Sources & driving stories
PULSE2 · Amit Chowdhry
Pulse2 coverageLittle Rock drafts rules for Google data center
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. sent draft data-center regulations to the city board on May 19 and asked for a vote on June 2. The ordinance would apply to future data centers seeking city permits, including the planned Google-linked Port of Little Rock project once it applies, and it creates three facility tiers with hyperscale defined by more than 250,000 square feet, more than 50 megawatts, or multiple principal buildings. The proposal adds setback rules, cooling restrictions, a ban on using primary groundwater wells for cooling, a ban on discharging chemically treated cooling water, and continuous acoustic monitoring for larger sites.
Why it matters
If adopted, the ordinance could become a local template for regulating large data-center projects before permits are filed.
Sources & driving stories
NWAONLINE
NWAonline coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Ohio data-center tax break hits $1.6B
New actual-cost data show the exemption far exceeded forecasts and could intensify pressure on lawmakers to repeal or reform it.
WORTH NOTING
Enbridge unveils Meta solar-storage project
The $1.2 billion Wyoming project shows hyperscalers are locking in utility-scale generation and storage alongside data-center expansion.
WORTH NOTING
Colorado statewide data-center rules fail again
Repeated legislative failures are leaving local moratoriums and zoning changes as the main policy response.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will Utah's permit timeline slip further?
The project still lacks air and water applications, and the contested water-rights process could push construction even farther out.
OPEN QUESTION
Will Little Rock approve the draft rules on June 2?
The vote will determine the regulatory bar for the planned Google project and may shape how other cities write their own rules.