Switch Data Center Gets Approval From Clark County Despite Public Opposition
Clark County commissioners unanimously approved zoning and development items for Switch's LAS 19 data center project in southwest Las Vegas, despite public opposition from environmental groups and residents. The approval advances the expansion of Switch's data center campus while incorporating conditions for pedestrian safety and noting the facility's low water usage and 100% renewable energy sourcing.
Clark County commissioners unanimously approved the zoning and development for Switch's LAS 19 data center project in southwest Las Vegas, advancing the expansion of the company's significant data center campus. The facility, spanning nine acres near Warm Springs Road and Decatur Boulevard, will include nearly 57,000 square feet of server, power, utility, and office space.
Despite the approval, the decision faced pushback from environmental groups and area residents, including Nancy Olds from the Toiyabe chapter of the Sierra Club, who urged commissioners to slow AI-driven data center growth and demand greater transparency regarding energy, water, and community impacts. Commissioner Michael Naft, who proposed the motion for approval, emphasized that his support was specific to this project and not a general endorsement of all data center developments.
Switch committed to several conditions as part of the approval, including contributing to the design and construction of a pedestrian safety barrier along Warm Springs Road and withdrawing proposed landscaping waivers. The company highlighted its use of a closed-loop cooling system that requires minimal water, its 100% renewable energy sourcing since 2016, and its high score on the county's sustainability metric.