‘This town is not ready’: Boulder City planners vote against data center

The Boulder City Planning Commission has voted against recommending a controversial 88.5-acre data center project to the City Council, following a three-hour meeting marked by significant resident opposition. Most residents expressed fears regarding the potential effects of AI data centers, including demands on energy and water, noise, air pollution, and heat production. A small protest also took place before the meeting.

With only one commissioner dissenting, the Planning Commission recommended rejection of the proposal by Skylar Capital Management, a Texas-based developer. Planning Commission Chair Lorene Krumm stated that the town is "not ready" for such a project, emphasizing the need for city officials to establish proactive regulations for data centers through changes to city laws. Gerald Balboa, COO of Skylar Capital Management, acknowledged resident concerns and claimed the project had been adapted to address them. Project manager Rick Lammers detailed a closed-loop cooling system requiring an initial 400,000 gallons of water, with minimal daily refills, though this was doubted by Commissioner Matt Di Teresa.

The City Council will cast the final vote on the proposal at a later date. An online petition against the data center has gathered over 5,900 signatures. Separate from this specific project, Boulder City residents are also slated to vote in November on whether data centers are an acceptable use of land in parts of the Eldorado Valley. Mayor Joe Hardy had previously indicated that data centers could offer significant revenue potential, provided officials can ensure responsible water and power sourcing.