Lawmakers want more transparency on data center projects built on public land
Democratic lawmakers are urging the Interior Department for greater transparency and public input regarding data center projects on federal lands, citing concerns over environmental studies and local taxation. A data center project in Boulder City, Nevada, was temporarily halted by an Interior Department appeals judge due to insufficient environmental studies and lack of public input, serving as a key example in the lawmakers' push.
A coalition of Democratic lawmakers, primarily from the House Natural Resources Committee, has sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum demanding increased transparency and community involvement in the approval process for data center projects on public lands.
The lawmakers' concerns stem from media reports suggesting data center developers are targeting Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in at least six western states, including Utah, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and Wyoming. They highlight a specific case in Boulder City, Nevada, where a previously approved data center project was temporarily halted by an Interior Department appeals judge. The judge cited a lack of proper environmental studies and insufficient public input in the approval process, a decision local officials consider a precedent-setting test case.
Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada is championing the Public Lands Accountability Act, a bill designed to mandate that data center projects on public lands adhere to the National Environmental Policy Act, thereby requiring health and environmental assessments and closing potential loopholes. Lawmakers also express apprehension regarding a Trump-era executive order aimed at streamlining data center development, fearing it could reduce oversight and limit local communities' ability to benefit from tax revenues when projects are on federal land.