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

**Title: Lawmaker Criticizes Agency Over Boulder City Data Center Approval, Demands Public Engagement** Rep. Dina Titus, D‑Nev., sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday questioning why the agency proceeded with a data‑center right‑of‑way without following the usual public‑consultation requirements. In the letter she asked BLM officials to detail any public outreach that had occurred and whether hearings were held before the decision was announced. Titus pointed out that the Boulder City Planning Commission had voted in May to recommend opposition to the project and that the City Council had later debated the matter. Minutes from the council show officials considered whether the city should seek a federal approval. A city statement said the lease would generate an estimated $2.3 million in annual revenue from lease payments, taxes, licensing fees, and administrative charges. Boulder City spokeswoman Lisa LaPlante said the city would make sure federal agencies “consult with local governments that have the responsibility of providing public services to the proposed facilities.” She added, “We hold that the decision‑making process at each level should be open and transparent and provide meaningful opportunities for public input.” The BLM has not yet responded to Titus’s inquiry. Residents of Boulder City have opposed the data‑center proposal for months, displaying lawn signs and holding community meetings to raise worries about water use, power consumption, noise, light pollution, and broader environmental effects. Similar concerns have surfaced in other communities nationwide, with research indicating substantial water and energy demands and potential air and noise impacts from nearby data centers. Southern Nevada enforces strict water‑use rules for data centers, including a region‑wide ban on evaporative cooling systems, yet demand for capacity remains strong. NV Energy projects that data centers could supply 64 percent of the utility’s energy revenue by 2046, compared with just 5 percent today. Rick Lammers, a project manager with Houston‑based Skylar Capital Management, said stakeholder input has been invaluable and has refined the plan. He noted the facility would employ an advanced closed‑loop, air‑cooled cooling system that cuts water use. “We aim to provide a reliable grid, support community concerns about heat, noise, light, and other environmental factors, and report all key metrics publicly,” Lammers said. In her letter, Titus emphasized her constituents’ worries about water supply, heat, and grid resilience, urging regulators to conduct a thorough, transparent assessment of whether the projected benefits outweigh the expected costs. She wrote, “Issues related to water supply, heat, and grid resilience are integral to Southern Nevadans’ lives and livelihoods,” and added, “Regulators should evaluate them in a transparent and truthful manner so the public can understand whether the projected benefits outweigh the expected costs.” The grassroots opposition has attracted the attention of Third Act, a progressive nonprofit that has warned it may intervene if the project moves forward without proper review. Titus has asked the BLM to respond by July 22.