LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Protesters against a proposed AI data center in Boulder City showed their opposition during a town hall Tuesday night, holding up signs outside the building.
For the second time, developers of the Townsite Solar 2 project held a town hall open to anyone with questions or feedback. Modified plans are moving forward.
MORE ON FOX5: Boulder City residents rally against proposed AI data center
Boulder City residents have not welcomed the developers of the data center.
“We want to make sure our town continues to be a beautiful place to live. And the data center threatens that,” said Kendra, a Boulder City resident against the data center.
Community concerns
Kendra said part of what makes Boulder City special is that it’s a tight-knit community.
“We love what it is, its history. A lot of people here have a deep and abiding love for the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and all of those things. And we want to see them preserved and taken care of,” she said.
Residents say a data center is in direct conflict with that vision.
“We don’t have the water they need… and with the lake levels dropping, so is the output from the power from the dam. And that’s a real concern to us because that’s where we get a lot of our power,” Kendra said.
Developer response
Developers say they hear their would-be neighbors and that is why they will continue hosting town halls.
“Who better to report on what we’re actually doing than the project sponsors themselves,” said Rick Lammers, project manager for Townsite Solar 2.
Lammers said they have taken feedback from the first town hall to make changes.
“We did learn some things, like the city prefers not for us to use any of the waste effluent in any of our cooling processes. So we’ve pivoted to strictly an air-cooled process,” he said.
Lammers also said he wants to dispel misconceptions.
“One of the biggest advantages of this site is its location. It’s nearly three miles away from the nearest resident, and it’s also 400 feet below. So those factors will act as natural buffers to mitigate any impacts on sound, heat, or particulate matter,” he said.
Some residents say no matter what changes or assurances the developer makes, they remain opposed.
“We just don’t feel like we’re getting the answers we need to know whether it’s safe or not. And that’s part of our mission,” Kendra said.
In the first year alone, developers say they will bring $2.5 million of revenue for the city and $300 million over the entire life of the project.
The next step for the project to move forward is a Planning Commission hearing on May 20.
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