Environmental groups file federal appeal against data center planned just outside Boulder City

Environmental groups, The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club, have initiated a federal appeal to stop a proposed data center project situated just outside Boulder City, Nevada. The appeal, filed on July 27, challenges the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) decision to approve the "Townsite project" by Texas-based company, Townsite Solar 2.

Originally intended for a solar field, the 80-acre federal parcel, within Boulder City's jurisdiction, was instead approved for a data center. Boulder City officials, in a unanimous vote, have formally appealed the BLM's decision, contending that the data center project did not undergo the necessary environmental analysis previously applied to the solar farm proposal. Congresswoman Dina Titus has also expressed concerns regarding the BLM's decision.

The environmental groups are seeking a stay order from the Interior Board of Land Appeals to immediately halt the project while the legal case proceeds. They argue that the proposed data center, which would be the first on BLM-managed public land, poses significant threats to the threatened Mojave desert tortoise and other protected species in the Eldorado Valley near Las Vegas. Concerns also include a substantial increase in construction water demand, from an estimated 25 acre-feet for the solar project to over 560 acre-feet for the data center, and potential socioeconomic impacts on Boulder City, such as rising utility costs and falling property values.

The appeal asserts that the BLM violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Endangered Species Act, further claiming that the public was denied meaningful participation due to the absence of new public meetings or comment periods for the data center proposal. They request that the board vacate BLM's June 26 approval and mandate a comprehensive environmental review before any construction commences.