The recurring Republican push to fast-track data centers over local opposition

Rerun #2

Jul 2026 – Sep 2026 Townsite Data Center on BLM land near Boulder City, Nevada

On June 26, 2026, the BLM, part of the Trump administration's Interior Department, approved changing a 2023 right-of-way for a solar-and-battery project into the Townsite Data Center on 81 acres of federal land near Boulder City. It used the 2023 environmental review and did not prepare a new or revised environmental assessment. The BLM said the approval was consistent with Trump's Executive Order 14318, "Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure." An Interior spokesperson said the project reflects "the growing role of public lands in supporting the infrastructure needed to power innovation, advanced technology, and the nation's future economic growth."

Opposition is documented:

• Boulder City filed its own administrative appeal and said it was not consulted.
• The Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club's Toiyabe Chapter filed an appeal arguing the approval skipped public participation and project-specific review.
• Newsweek reported that residents packed council meetings. The Nevada Independent reported that dozens of people came out against the project.

Around September 1, an Interior Department appeals board stayed the approval. It found that a solar farm and a data center are not "substantially the same," and construction was halted. Nevada Current reported on October 20 that the approval was formally rejected after BLM asked to withdraw it for more review, sending the project back to square one.

• Newsweek (pre–2013) article

  The BLM said its approval was consistent with President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14318

• spotlightpa.org article

  “Tyranny,” one resident described it in front of the City Council in July.

• thenevadaindependent.com article

  A Department of Interior judge has ordered a stay on the construction of a data center

Sources: Newsweek (pre–2013) needs a second source · spotlightpa.org needs a second source · thenevadaindependent.com needs a second source · nevadacurrent.com needs a second source

Rerun #1

Jul 2025 Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure executive order

On July 23, 2025, President Trump (a Republican) issued the order "Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure." It tells federal agencies to streamline permitting reviews, provide financial support and make federal land available for data center projects. It covers projects that commit $500 million or more, add 100 MW or more of electric load, or protect national security (White & Case). It tells the Council on Environmental Quality to work with agencies on new NEPA categorical exclusions for these projects. It tells EPA to develop or modify rules under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and other laws to speed permitting. It also tells the Secretary of the Army to review nationwide permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and decide whether these projects need their own activity-specific nationwide permit (White & Case). The companion AI Action Plan says the United States' environmental permitting system makes this infrastructure "almost impossible to build" at the speed required (White & Case). The Southern Environmental Law Center said the plan would advance data centers and fossil-fuel infrastructure without consulting localities and residents (Inside Climate News). The order covers federal permits only and does not preempt state permitting, zoning or energy rules (MultiState).

• whitecase.com article

  directs federal agencies to streamline permitting reviews, provide financial support, and utilize federal land for the expeditious development of data centers

• insideclimatenews.org article

  The Trump administration has manufactured barriers and a fake sense of urgency to roll back public safeguards…

Sources: whitecase.com needs a second source · insideclimatenews.org reliable · multistate.us needs a second source