Kevin O’Leary has agreed to downsize his planned 40,000-acre data center in Utah by half, amid pressure from residents and activists. The change means the project will still cover an area larger than Manhattan but with less impact on local landscapes.

The Utah Senate President, J. Stuart Adams, had previously called for a 75% reduction to about 10,000 acres, alongside measures to reduce water consumption and divert excess water to the Great Salt Lake.

O’Leary has stated that he will remove another 620 acres in the northeast portion of the project near the highway. He plans to preserve a majority of the remaining acreage as open space, even with the smaller footprint around 20,000 acres.

Despite this change, concerns remain about energy usage and environmental impact, as data centers of any significant size can still pose substantial challenges for local ecosystems.