投资人凯文·奥利里（Kevin O'Leary）在犹他州Box Elder县提议的大规模AI数据中心项目Wonder Valley引发了当地社区与州政府的激烈对立。该项目占地40000英亩，配套9GW燃气电厂，奥利里声称这是"世界最大"数据中心1。奥利里于2024年1月8日会见州长，项目方在3月25日向县委员会正式通知，仅用5周时间就在5月4日获得了批准1。
在项目推进过程中，奥利里在福克斯新闻上指控批评者受中共资助，声称批评者都是中共资助的专业抗议者1。这一言论随后引发诉讼压力，奥利里于6月被迫撤回指控，澄清表示没有证据证明批评者由中共资助1。福克斯新闻也随之道歉，表示为这个错误道歉，并确认无证据支持该指控1。
当地居民反对的理由多维度。犹他州正处于干旱时期，州长科克斯曾要求居民减少用水，而数据中心的运营需要大量用水进行冷却1。此外，居民关切于项目可能带来的污染，以及县委员会仅提前5周被告知项目而未充分征询公众意见所反映的民主程序问题1。
这场争议最终对支持项目的政治人物造成了显著打击。参议院主席亚当斯同时担任MIDA主席，其在选举中落选；县委员会主席宾厄姆和委员佩里在初选中也落选1。截至2024年9月底，仅有县政府与项目方签署协议，MIDA因诉讼暂停工作，项目尚未售出土地或宣布租户1。
Prominent investor Kevin O'Leary proposed construction of Wonder Valley, which he claimed would be the world's largest artificial intelligence data center, spanning 40,000 acres in Box Elder County, Utah, accompanied by a 9-gigawatt natural gas power plant 1. The project moved with remarkable speed, beginning with O'Leary's meeting with the state governor on January 8, 2024, followed by the first formal notification to county commissioners on March 25, and final approval on May 4 1. However, the ambitious venture triggered fierce resistance from local residents over water consumption, environmental pollution, and concerns about the rushed approval process 1.
The controversy intensified when O'Leary claimed on Fox News that critics were funded by China, asserting that "the Chinese Communist Party is attacking me online" and characterizing opponents as "professional protesters" financed by Beijing 1. He later retracted the allegation in June, acknowledging "I have no evidence to prove...funded by the Chinese Communist Party," while Fox News apologized for broadcasting the unsupported claim 1. The dispute gained particular urgency as Utah faced severe drought conditions, with Governor Cox urging residents to conserve water even as the data center required substantial water supplies for cooling operations 1.
The political consequences proved substantial. County commissioners had provided residents only five weeks' notice before the project's approval, raising democratic procedure concerns 1. This hasty timeline contributed to electoral losses for key figures: Senate President Adams, who chaired the project entity, failed to win reelection, while county commission chair Bingham and commissioner Perry both lost their primary contests 1. By late September 2024, despite county government approval, the project had attracted no announced tenants and sold no land, with the project entity pausing work due to pending litigation 1.
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