Nevada citizens raise concerns over data center development, prompting project withdrawal
Nevada's Governor Joe Lombardo maintains a positive outlook on data center development, despite growing citizen and political opposition over environmental impacts, particularly concerning water and energy consumption. The TS2 Data Center project in Boulder City recently withdrew its application from the city's approval process due to public scrutiny, prompting its relocation to adjacent federal land and drawing criticism from Rep. Dina Titus.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo remains a staunch supporter of data center development across the state, recently reaffirming his stance in a Reno Gazette Journal op-ed. This position comes despite significant public protest and increasing concerns from county and local jurisdictions regarding the substantial water and energy demands of AI data centers, as well as their environmental impact, including heat emission and increased greenhouse gas. Lombardo asserts that Nevada's development model requires companies to protect resources and communities, claiming that not all data centers are built the same and the state can define their operations.
However, the article raises skepticism about the willingness of officials to uphold these standards, especially as the state's largest utility anticipates needing to double its capacity to meet the energy demands of these facilities. Massive projects in Northern Nevada are moving forward with plans to use natural gas to fuel on-site power plants, contributing to increased pollution and local ambient temperatures, as highlighted by a Tech Xplore report from Arizona State University.
In a specific instance reflecting this opposition, the TS2 Data Center project, developed by Houston-based Townsite Solar 2 LLC, withdrew its application from Boulder City's approval process after questions were raised about its long-term water usage. The project subsequently announced a move to adjacent federal land, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), who called the Bureau of Land Management's approval without public review "unacceptable." The article concludes by questioning the rush to embrace data center development given the still-unmeasured environmental impacts.