The Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club Toiyabe Chapter initiated an administrative appeal in late July against the Bureau of Land Management’s authorization of the Townsite Data Center in Boulder City, Nevada. The facility, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, represents the first data center approved on federally managed public lands and was greenlit through a streamlined permitting process that the appellants argue circumvented standard environmental review procedures.
The 167-megawatt facility is slated for construction in Eldorado Valley, an area containing desert tortoise habitat located southeast of Las Vegas. The project raises concerns about water consumption in an already arid region, as the Colorado River Basin would supply the operation’s substantial water requirements. The small municipality of Boulder City, within whose limits the facility would be located, has separately filed its own appeal.
According to the appeal filing, the BLM utilized authorization from a prior solar project at the same location to satisfy procedural requirements for the data center approval, thereby eliminating the need for comprehensive environmental assessment or public input opportunities. Environmental advocates contend this approach violated applicable environmental review statutes and prevented meaningful community participation in the decision-making process.
Opponents warn that approval could establish a precedent for additional data center development on western public lands. Local business owner and resident Brynn DeLorimier expressed concern about potential effects on the community’s tourism industry, property values, utilities costs, and water quality. Several Boulder City residents joined the appeal, citing concerns about the facility’s impact on their community’s quality of life and environmental resources.
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