Gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford proposes data center restrictions
Nevada gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford announced a proposal to restrict data center water and energy use. His plan includes requiring data centers to bring their own water or coolant, pay for their own electricity, and banning evaporative cooling. Ford also wants to pause tax abatements for data centers, aiming to conserve water for human use.
Aaron Ford, the Nevada Attorney General and a gubernatorial candidate, held a news conference in a neighborhood near Jones and Blue Diamond, an area with data centers, to detail his proposals for regulating the industry if elected governor. Ford stated that data centers should be required to provide their own water or coolant and pay for their own electricity. He also advocated for a ban on evaporative cooling and a pause on tax abatements for data centers, emphasizing a proactive approach to limit their water usage to conserve resources for human needs.
In response to Ford's comments, Governor Lombardo's campaign issued a statement accusing Ford of attempting to shift blame for laws he helped author. The campaign asserted that Ford had previously sponsored Nevada's data center tax breaks without incorporating guardrails on water or energy use. FOX5 also mentioned reaching out to Switch for a response.