Boulder City council votes to appeal federal approval of data center on BLM land

The Boulder City Council unanimously voted to authorize the city attorney to file a notice of appeal and stay with the federal government regarding the approval of a data center project.

The proposed data center, identified as the "Town Site Solar Two Project," was initially planned for Boulder City property. However, after the city's planning commission voted against its application and strong resident opposition, the developers shifted the project to nearby land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The federal government subsequently approved this plan.

Despite the relocation, the data center remains within Boulder City's jurisdiction, according to the city's mayor, allowing the city to appeal the federal decision. Residents packed the city council meeting, expressing their strong opposition and concerns about the project's impact on local water supply and electrical infrastructure. Councilman Steve Walton questioned the federal government's decision to accept a prior environmental impact study for a solar farm site as valid for a data center, calling it "ridiculous" and "absolutely out of line" due to the vastly different environmental considerations of the two types of projects.