Titus demands answers on BLM data center approval process

Nevada Rep. Dina Titus is seeking answers from federal land managers about their approval for the construction and operation of a data center on federal land about three miles southwest of Boulder City.

Townsite Solar 2 LLC  — the project developer — originally proposed a 88.5-acre data center on city-owned land, but withdrew their application last month after federal land managers approved its request to amend a right-of-way grant for a data center on an adjacent federally-owned parcel just to the west of the city-owned site.

Before the withdrawal, the Boulder City Planning Commission voted in May not to recommend approval of the data center to the City Council. 

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus is now demanding answers from the Bureau of Land Management about how the agency is reviewing proposals for data centers on public land, criticizing the BLM’s move to allow the development of a controversial data center on public land without public review.

In a July 8 letter to BLM Director Stevan Pearce and Nevada acting state director Justin Abernathy, Titus called for “robust public consultation and transparency” during the federal permitting process for data centers, including any proposal allowing Townsite Solar 2 LLC to proceed with their proposed data center. 

“Residents of Boulder City and other communities in Southern Nevada have a right to know about any proposal to transfer federal land to data center developers,” Titus said. 

“Data centers potentially can affect our scant water resources, energy usage and the overall environment. The BLM allowed a private developer to switch from developing a solar farm on city-owned land in Boulder City to developing a data center on adjacent federal land without any public review. This is unacceptable,” she continued. 

In the letter, Titus asks federal land managers what public consultation they took before approving the amended right-of-way grant which allows Townsite Solar 2, LLC to “construct, operate, and decommission a Data Center Facility” on public land.

Titus also asked whether BLM will hold public hearings or a public consultation process prior to issuing a notice to proceed with the project. 

Titus requested a response by July 22. BLM did not immediately respond to request for comment. 

The City Council is still set to discuss the data center proposal at its July 14 meeting, despite the developer withdrawing their application from the city’s land leasing process.

A city council agenda item posted Tuesday includes a resolution to authorize the city attorney to file a notice of appeal and petition to stay BLM’s decision to approve the right-of-way grant.