Fernley council approves power plant as planning commissioners resign amid dispute
Mark IV Capital won approval from the Fernley City Council to build a 324-megawatt natural gas power plant and battery storage systems in the Victory Logistics District, which is being marketed for manufacturing and data center development. The proposal triggered legal demands against a planning commissioner who questioned the project, ethics inquiries and the resignations of three planning commissioners.
Fernley City Council approved Mark IV Capital’s conditional use permit for a proposed 324-megawatt natural gas power plant and battery energy storage systems at the Victory Logistics District. Mark IV says the facility would provide power for manufacturers and data centers as the region faces delays in obtaining electricity from NV Energy. Microsoft has purchased 300 acres in the district and reportedly plans data center projects in Lyon County, including one in Fernley.
Planning Commissioner Cody Wagner publicly questioned the plant and the district’s potential shift toward data centers. Mark IV attorneys demanded that Wagner recuse himself from proceedings involving the project, alleging he had prejudged the application. The Nevada Commission on Ethics concluded that Wagner’s public opinions did not bar him from participating, but Wagner and fellow commissioners Angela Lewis and Jenni McCullar resigned amid the dispute. The City Council advanced the permit before the Planning Commission revisited it, approving the project on Oct. 7.