Dozens protest against planned Monarch Data Center north of Yerington
Dozens of residents in Yerington, Nevada, protested against the proposed Monarch Data Center, citing concerns over resource usage and potential contamination. While the Lyon County Planning Commission has advanced the project, county commissioners are scheduled to vote on a crucial zoning change and will host a workshop for future data center regulations.
Dozens of residents marched through Yerington, Nevada, to protest the planned Monarch Data Center, expressing significant concerns about resource usage and potential contamination. Organized by Katie Calhoun, the protest highlighted fears that a project of this scale, which could consume up to 1 gigawatt of power, is unsuitable for a rural, agricultural community.
Developer Copia Power presented plans to begin the first phase of construction in late 2027 or early 2028. However, residents like David Janakos are worried about the project's impact on already critically low water resources in the valley, which has experienced several years of drought. Protesters also cited examples from other rural communities, such as Cheyenne, where water contamination issues arose even before data centers were fully operational.
Despite community opposition, the Lyon County Planning Commission voted 4-3 on July 14th to advance the data center project. The project is estimated to generate $2.5 billion in taxes for Lyon County but would use approximately 800 acre-feet of water annually. The final decision rests with the Lyon County Commissioners, who are scheduled to vote on a zoning change to permit the Monarch Data Center's construction. Additionally, Lyon County is hosting a public workshop to discuss future data center rules on Monday, August 3rd.