A massive data center in rural Nevada is one step closer to being built
Lyon County commissioners have approved a crucial zoning change for Copia Power's massive Monarch Data Center near Yerington, despite significant local opposition and concerns about water and electricity. This tentative approval clears a major hurdle for the project, though further state permits and final design approval are still needed. Concurrently, the county is also drafting new data center-specific ordinances.
Lyon County commissioners voted 3-1 to approve a zoning change for Copia Power's proposed Monarch Data Center, a 1,000-megawatt facility spanning 4.6 million square feet near Yerington, Nevada. Commissioner Dave Hockaday cast the dissenting vote, while Commissioner John Cassinelli abstained due to a potential conflict of interest. This approval moves the project forward despite active local opposition, though Copia Power still requires final design approval from the board and additional state permits, including from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the State Engineer.
Dozens of residents voiced objections during the meeting, citing concerns over water consumption, potential environmental impacts such as waste heat and seismic risks, and the project's primary reliance on groundwater in an over-appropriated basin. The Walker River Paiute and Yerington Paiute tribes have also formally opposed the development. Cullen McGinnis of the Sierra Club's Toiyabe Chapter highlighted vagueness regarding the cooling system's water intensity and affirmed the chapter's intent to "pursue every available legal avenue" to challenge the project.
Commissioners also questioned the data center's power supply, particularly how NV Energy could accommodate the requested 1,000 megawatts given reported service delays for other regional companies. A Copia representative indicated the company would self-supply power via its own natural gas backup plant and battery storage until grid integration. Concurrently, Lyon County is developing its first data center-specific ordinance, which would not apply to the Monarch project due to its advanced application status. During a workshop on the draft ordinance, commissioners expressed dissatisfaction with proposed standards, including residential setbacks and water-cooling provisions, sending the draft back for revisions.