Why a Northern Nevada data center wants to build its own temporary natural gas power plant

Fleet Data Centers is seeking permission from Nevada state energy regulators to construct and operate temporary natural gas power plants to serve its data centers at the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) in Storey County. This unprecedented request stems from NV Energy's current inability to supply sufficient power to the rapidly expanding data center sector in Northern Nevada, with the utility forecasting a 47 percent increase in statewide energy demand from data centers within two years. Without these temporary facilities, valued at over 350 megawatts, Fleet Data Centers warns of significant economic investment delays for Storey County and Nevada. The proposed "behind-the-meter" plants, including a 144 MW facility for the South Valley campus and a 218 MW Peru Ridge Self-Generation Project, would bypass NV Energy's transmission grid and operate for two to three years until permanent service is available. This approach has alarmed energy and environmental watchdogs like the Sierra Club's Olivia Tanager, who fear it could establish a concerning precedent, enable the skirting of regulatory oversight, and further hinder Nevada's already struggling efforts to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Electricity generation accounts for over a quarter of the state's emissions. Fleet Data Centers, a portfolio company of Tract Capital, is developing these "mega-scale, single-user data center campuses," with Bloomberg reporting Nvidia plans to lease one of the Storey County sites. Storey County Commissioner Clay Mitchell acknowledged the industrial park's design for heavy industrial uses, including power generation, but noted the novelty of developers generating their own power. Air quality permit applications have been submitted to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, with construction anticipated to begin in early 2027 if approved.