A Small Town Fights Back
Boulder City is small. It's quiet. It's the town that built Hoover Dam. It's also one of only two towns in Nevada that still bans gambling. Folks there like to run their own show.
That's why residents are furious this week. A data center project they fought for months just got pushed through anyway. Not by their own city council. By the federal government.
What Happened
A company called Townsite Solar 2 wanted to build a data center near Interstate 11 and Highway 95. Data centers are basically giant warehouses full of computer servers. They power things like cloud storage and artificial intelligence.
The company first asked Boulder City for permission to lease city land. The city's Planning Commission said no. They voted 6-1 against it in May after residents packed the room for three hours straight.
So the company changed its plan. It withdrew its city application. Then it turned to the Bureau of Land Management, a federal agency, and asked to build the same kind of project on federal land right next door instead.
On June 26, the BLM said yes. No public comment. No real consultation with the city.
Read our prior coverage:
Boulder City Data Center Fight Shifts To Federal Land
That decision means Boulder City loses out on roughly $2.3 million a year in revenue the project would have brought in.
Residents Are Not Happy
On Tuesday night, dozens of people showed up to Boulder City Hall. Some rallied outside first. Then they filled the council chambers to speak.
Celeste Interrante, who moved to Boulder City about a year ago and runs a cleaning business, told the council the decision had already been made without them.
“I'm here tonight not to ask you to approve or reject the data center. That decision was taken out of our hands,” she said.
She explained how the switch happened:
“Townsite Solar 2 withdrew its application for our land and instead secured federal right of way from BLM on the parcel next door.”
Restaurant owner Grant Turner didn't hold back either.
“This was never a good faith negotiation,” he said. “They had a gun to our heads at all times.”
He urged the council to fight.
“Given the fact that they have rugged us and moved next door, yeah, like pretty much everybody in this room, I recommend that we fight them tooth and nail.”
Councilmember Steve Walton questioned how federal officials could treat a solar farm review as good enough for a data center.
“I don't know in any world how they could have made the statement that that project is in any way similar to the original solar energy production and battery energy storage application,” he said.
“Absolutely out of line. Just ridiculous.”
The council responded by voting unanimously to appeal the BLM's approval. City Attorney Brittany Walker said the move broke with normal process.
“This is a departure from previous precedent and procedure, as the BLM, essentially, sweepingly approved a new land use without following processes in federal law,” she said.
Why This Matters To Conservatives
This story isn't really about whether data centers are good or bad. It's about who gets to decide.
Conservatives have long believed decisions about local land, local growth, and local character belong with local people, not distant bureaucrats. Boulder City ran its own process, listened to its own residents, and made its own call. A federal agency swept that aside without so much as a public hearing.
That should worry anyone who believes in limited government and local control, no matter which party holds the White House at the time.
What Comes Next
Boulder City voters will get their own say in November. They'll vote on whether data centers should even be allowed on city-owned land in the Eldorado Valley. That vote won't undo the federal approval, but it will send a clear signal about where residents stand.
Conservatives who care about local control should watch the appeal process closely, show up to future public meetings, and pay attention to that November ballot question. Local government works best when Washington stays out of the way.
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.
