Lawmaker blasts agency over Boulder City data center approval, questions public engagement

A day after the public learned a data center would be built on federal land in Boulder City, a Nevada lawmaker is demanding answers about why officials appear not to have consulted residents.

On Tuesday, Boulder City announced a developer pulled its application to lease city land for a data center, instead gaining a right-of-way approval from the federal government to build on an adjacent parcel that the Bureau of Land Management owns. The move blindsided some residents who had been lobbying against it.

Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., sent a letter to the BLM on Wednesday, asking why the agency circumvented normal public input processes that are usually required by federal law.

“I am concerned to hear that while Boulder City was engaging the public on this manner, the Bureau of Land Management was working to quietly greenlight this project to move forward on public land,” Titus wrote.

Titus asked agency officials to specify what public consultation occurred, if any, and whether they plan on hosting hearings prior to issuing a notice to proceed for the project. She noted that the Boulder City Planning Commission, in response to community pushback, voted in May to provide a negative recommendation to the City Council.

The City Council’s agenda shows that officials will discuss in its Tuesday meeting whether the city would like to file an official appeal to BLM. In a news release, the city reported it would now lose out on $2.3 million in annual revenue from the lease, property taxes, permit fees and administrative charges.

Boulder City spokeswoman Lisa LaPlante said in a statement that city officials appreciate Titus’ attention to ensuring that federal agencies like BLM “consult with local governments that will bear the burden of providing public services to the proposed facilities.”

“We agree that the decision-making process at all levels should be open and transparent and provide meaningful opportunities for input from the general public,” LaPlante wrote.

BLM did not provide comment when reached Wednesday.

Project draws ire of residents

For months, many who live in the small Southern Nevada city have protested data center development. It’s hard to miss colorful signs in people’s lawns denouncing data centers.

Throughout the nation, communities have raised questions about the understudied potential impacts of data centers that abut residential areas. A growing list of concerns include water and energy use, heat generation, air pollution and more.

Southern Nevada has some of the most progressive rules regarding data center water use with its region-wide ban on evaporative cooling systems in new developments. Still, power demands are immense: Data centers could account for 64 percent of NV Energy’s electricity sales by 2046, up from 5 percent of electricity sales today, according to the utility.

Rick Lammers, the project manager with Houston-based Skylar Capital Management, said in a statement that resident input has been valuable — and it’s made the design better. Lammers said the data center will use no water, instead opting for an advanced, closed‑loop and air‑cooled method of keeping servers cool.

Lammers believes the project will still provide Boulder City benefits, adding that the design will be a model for the nation.

“We will invest in a water positive result, lower power bills, build a more reliable grid, and protect the community on matters of heat, noise, light, and other environmental concerns,” Lammers said. “We plan to be transparent, reporting all important metrics publicly.”

In her letter, Titus pointed to some of her constituents’ concerns that she believes need thoughtful evaluation.

“Issues such as water supply, extreme heat, and grid resilience are integral to Southern Nevadans’ lives and livelihoods,” Titus wrote. “Regulators should address them in a public and transparent manner so that the community can determine whether the projected benefits of a proposed project outweigh the expected costs.”

Boulder City’s grassroots movement against data centers has caught the attention of a progressive, national nongovernmental organization, Third Act, which one member said could intervene with legal action.

Titus requested that BLM respond by July 22.