Proposed data center on BLM land draws resistance
A large data center project proposed by Rhea Data on federal public land south of Boise, Idaho, is drawing strong opposition from Boise Mayor Lauren McLean and the Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club. Concerns center on the project's size, its potential environmental impact, and demands on energy and water resources. The Bureau of Land Management is currently in a preliminary review phase for the proposal.
A significant data center project proposed by Rhea Data, a subsidiary of Nevada-based Arevia Power, on 3,226 acres of federal public land south of Boise, Idaho, is in preliminary stages but has already attracted considerable resistance. The proposal includes a 4 million-square-foot data center along with a natural gas power generation facility and electrical infrastructure to connect to Idaho Power Company's grid. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reviewing several such data center proposals across western states, with the Idaho project located in Ada County near Interstate 84.
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean has issued a strong statement opposing the project, calling for a statewide framework to protect Idaho's natural resources from the consequences of mega data center developments. The Idaho Chapter of the Sierra Club echoed this opposition, with Director Lisa Young citing concerns over local air quality, climate impact, and the substantial energy demands from an additional data center and its gas plant, especially given existing energy needs from Micron and Meta data centers in the region.
The project faces scrutiny regarding its energy and water consumption. Idaho Power is aware of the proposal but has not yet included it in its system load forecast, noting that any project of this scope would require review by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission and extensive planning to ensure reliability for existing customers. Recent legislation, House Bill 911 and House Bill 895, passed by the Idaho Legislature this year, imposes new requirements on large energy and water users, mandating self-funding of infrastructure costs and restricting consumptive cooling systems for new data centers. The BLM anticipates publishing a notice of intent for the project by the end of the year, marking the formal start of environmental review and public notification processes.