Pahrump residents set to join national day of protest against AI data centers
Residents in Pahrump, Nevada, are joining a national day of protest against AI data centers, citing concerns over water, power, and environmental impact. This comes as Nye County has an enacted moratorium on new data centers, and other Southern Nevada cities like Henderson and Boulder City are also grappling with data center development and related opposition and regulatory actions.
Residents in Pahrump, Nevada, are participating in a nationwide protest against AI data centers, organized by Humans First, to highlight concerns about water, power, and environmental impacts. The protest in Pahrump will take place outside the Golden Nugget along Highway 160. This local demonstration is set against a backdrop of significant data center activity and regulation in Southern Nevada.
Nye County currently has a temporary moratorium on new data centers while stricter regulations are being adopted. The Nye County Commission recently considered, but did not advance, an ordinance to completely ban these facilities in Pahrump. Further south, Clark County leaders recently approved an expansion for the Switch data center in southwest Las Vegas, despite local concerns.
In Henderson, the City Council is scheduled to discuss a proposed 180-day moratorium on new data centers or the adoption of new regulations at its July 21 meeting. Meanwhile, Boulder City's City Council unanimously appealed a June 26 decision by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that approved the Townsite Solar 2 data center project on federal land. The Boulder City planning commission had previously rejected the proposal following public opposition, and a petition requiring voter approval for data centers in the city failed to gather enough signatures.