Yard Signs and a Ballot Push Signal Growing Pushback Against Big Tech's Nevada Expansion
Drive through Boulder City right now and you'll see something you don't often spot in a small Nevada town. Hundreds of hand-painted yard signs. Same message on all of them. “No Data Centers.”
This isn't astroturfing from some outside group. It's neighbors talking to neighbors. And it's a story every conservative in Nevada ought to hear.
What's Happening in Boulder City
A company called Townsite Solar 2 LLC has proposed building a massive AI data center on 88 acres of open desert west of Highway 95, south of Interstate 11. Boulder City resident Brynn DeLorimier started a petition against it. That petition now has more than 4,600 signatures.
She got 50 blank yard signs, grabbed some spray paint, and got to work. Her volunteer team now delivers signs daily. The total count has reached 350 across the community.
DeLorimier put it plainly:
“We're a historic town. That's what we're known for.”
Boulder City was built by the workers who constructed Hoover Dam. It has its own charter that bans gambling. People choose to live there because it feels different from the rest of Southern Nevada, and they want to keep it that way.
DeLorimier says the data center's heat output would equal 200,000 space heaters running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:
“When our temperatures are already increasing, it's just not something we need here,” she said.
Fellow resident Branden Smith was equally direct.:
“What I am against is data centers in places where they shouldn't be,” he said.
“And Boulder City is one of those places — we're short on water, we're short on electricity, where we have an abundance of heat, and we really don't need any more.”
The Bigger Picture: A Statewide Resource Problem
Boulder City isn't alone in asking hard questions. A new study from the Desert Research Institute puts real numbers to what residents are feeling in their gut.
Nevada is one of the fastest-growing data center regions in the country. Companies come here for cheap land, affordable power, and a favorable tax climate. That sounds great on paper. But here's what the fine print says.
Nevada's data centers already consumed 22% of the state's electricity generation capacity in 2024. By 2030, that number is projected to climb past 35% of forecasted electricity generation. That matters a lot in a state that already imports most of its power.
Nevada uses roughly ten times more energy than it produces. When a heat wave hits and the grid gets stretched, regular ratepayers feel it first.
Water is just as concerning. Just 12 Nevada data center facilities are on track to use about 11.9 billion liters of water per year by 2033 — the drinking water equivalent for 24.1 million adults. Nevada is already the driest state in the nation.
And here's what should make every limited-government conservative's ears perk up. The proposed Boulder City data center was awarded more than $24.3 million in tax abatements by the Nevada Governor's Office of Energy. Over fiscal years 2023 and 2024, property tax breaks to data centers totaled $13.3 million, and sales and use tax breaks totaled $225.6 million, according to the Nevada Department of Taxation.
That's a quarter billion dollars in corporate welfare, while local families could end up footing the bill for grid expansion.
What Supporters Are Saying
To be fair, the developer isn't just asking for a handout. Townsite Solar 2 says the project would bring $2.6 million to Boulder City in the first year, roughly $1.5 million annually after that, and 200 to 300 construction jobs plus 25 to 40 permanent positions paying more than $100,000.
For a small town facing a budget shortfall, that's not nothing.
The developer also says the facility will not use Boulder City's power grid and will acquire electricity from independent sources. Many residents remain skeptical.
Where the Governor's Race Fits In
The Boulder City fight has caught the attention of the candidates running to be Nevada's next governor.
Governor Joe Lombardo said he supports data centers as part of Nevada's economic growth strategy but is clear about the limits.
“Any expansion or construction of these centers should not increase power rates for families or businesses, and we must carefully manage impacts on our water supply,” he said.
“My administration is focused on advancing innovative energy solutions to reduce strain on the grid and support responsible development.”
That's the right instinct. Economic growth is good. Sticking families with the utility bill for billion-dollar tech companies is not.
Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford has also weighed in, saying he supports listening to communities while keeping the door open for job-creating technology investment. He has called for requiring data center companies to pay for the energy they consume and fund the grid infrastructure needed to deliver it.
Both candidates say they want to protect ratepayers.
What Conservatives Should Do
This is exactly the kind of issue where conservative principles matter most. Local control over land use and protecting taxpayers from subsidizing Big Tech.
Boulder City residents are already heading to the ballot box on this one. The City Council voted 3-1 in February to refer a data center measure to voters in November.
Separately, residents have submitted a citizens' initiative that would require voter approval for any future data center proposal in Boulder City — and they need 1,700 signatures from registered voters to get that on the ballot as well.
There are currently no statewide regulations in Nevada guiding where data centers can and cannot be built. That needs to change — and it needs to be driven by communities and voters.
If you live in Boulder City or care about how Nevada grows, pay attention to this one. Those yard signs aren't going away, and residents will see this issue on the November ballot.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed
