The data center's developer previously applied for a permit to build a solar farm, a project Boulder officials say is a far cry from the more energy-intensive data center now being proposed.
The Boulder City, Nevada city council unanimously voted to contest the Bureau of Land Management's decision to approve a data center on BLM land near Boulder in the Eldorado Valley.
As Jeniffer Solis reports in Nevada Current, "Townsite Solar 2 LLC — the project developer — originally received federal approval in 2023 to build a solar power generation and battery storage facility on the parcel, but requested an amended right-of-way grant in 2025 to build a data center instead." City council members protested the government's acceptance of the environmental review for a solar farm for a much different project with a use that has never been authorized on BLM land.
According to Solis, "The approval to build on federal land effectively strips the city of any authority over the project, which was originally moving through the city’s land leasing process. During that process, the city’s planning commission voted unanimously in May not to recommend the construction of the data center on city-owned land."
In 2025, the White House published "America's AI Action Plan," which supports opening up federal lands for data center construction.
Read the full story: Boulder City Council seeks to stop data center on BLM land
Trump is considering data centers on 6 states' public land — some state officials say they had no idea
If the administration approves the proposed projects, data center and data center-related developments will cover 17,600 acres of public land.
Data centers are consuming nearly 25% of Oregon’s power
The state has 111 data centers, with 32 more either planned or under construction.
Judge strikes down Trump-backed data center on public land
The Biden administration originally approved the same patch of federal land for a solar farm in 2023.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Houston gains petal-shaped cooling infrastructure to make streets more ‘delightful’
The city has installed the pavilions along 15 blocks in Houston.
After years of opposition to light rail, this L.A. city wants a $200 million station
Cerritos officials want the Southeast Gateway Line, a planned 14.5-mile light rail route through Los Angeles County, to stop in their city.
SpaceXAI may be fined $6 million for data center lacking water permits
A Mississippi agency also responds after a federal judge criticized the state’s Clean Air Act enforcement.
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