Judge halts Trump-backed data center on public land
A federal judge has halted a proposed data center project by Townsite Solar 2 LLC near Boulder City, Nevada, siding with environmental groups who argued for a new environmental review. The project, intended for federal public land, faced significant local opposition over concerns about water usage, energy consumption, and the use of public land. This legal setback is a notable development in the ongoing debate over data center expansion in arid regions.
A federal judge has issued a stay, pausing a controversial data center project by Townsite Solar 2 LLC (TS2) near Boulder City, Nevada. The ruling, which sided with the Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter and the Center for Biological Diversity, mandates a comprehensive environmental review for the proposed data center on federal public land.
The project has a complex history, initially stemming from an approved solar farm by Skylar Energy Resources, a subsidiary of Houston-based Skylar Capital Management. After local opposition led the Boulder City Planning Commission to vote against a data center proposal on city land, TS2 pursued building on federal land designated for the solar project, with the Trump administration's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approving the switch without a new environmental assessment.
Environmental groups appealed this decision, arguing that a data center's environmental effects differ significantly from a solar farm's, particularly concerning water usage in Nevada, the driest state. The judge agreed, issuing a stay pending further review. The project has also drawn significant local and political opposition, with residents campaigning against it and Democratic Rep. Dina Titus raising concerns about transparency, water, and energy use. Meanwhile, other Nevada counties like Nye and cities like Reno have enacted moratoriums on data center development, highlighting a broader sentiment against such projects across the state.