Pahrump Residents Protest Data Centers Amid Moratorium and Regulatory Discussions
Pahrump residents and officials are engaged in significant discussions and actions regarding data center development in Nye County. A temporary moratorium on new applications was enacted, and a proposal to outright ban data centers was rejected, though a new bill is now under consideration to prohibit development in certain areas. Community opposition is active, with upcoming protests and informational forums planned.
Pahrump, Nevada, located in Nye County, is experiencing significant community opposition to proposed data center developments, leading to a temporary moratorium and a series of public events. Residents have voiced strong concerns regarding potential water usage from the limited Basin No. 162 aquifer, noise pollution, strain on local infrastructure, and overall environmental impact.
In June, the Nye County Commission enacted a temporary moratorium on new data center applications to allow time for new regulations to be adopted. However, two projects, the Blackjack Data Center and Osprey Data Center, had applications filed prior to this moratorium and have yet to receive full county approval. Following this, Nye County Commissioner Ian Bayne proposed a full ban on data center development in Pahrump, which also sought to nullify prior approvals. This proposal, however, failed to gain support from his fellow commissioners.
As an alternative, Commissioner Bruce Jabbour suggested a community forum to gather information from the public and officials. This forum is scheduled for Saturday, July 25. Additionally, the Nye County Commission plans a public hearing on August 4 for Nye County Bill No. 2026-11, which aims to prohibit data center development in any Nye County community lacking an elected town board.
Local opposition is escalating, with Pahrump residents participating in the "AI Data Center National Day of Protest" on July 18, organized by Humans First. A local digital marketing professional, Justyne Lobello, will also host an "AI and Data Centers: 101" informational session at the Pahrump Community Library on the same day to educate the community on the potential impacts of these facilities.