LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Opposition to a proposed AI data center in Boulder City is spreading throughout the small town, with 350 hand-painted signs appearing in front yards.
The signs are part of a grassroots campaign against the Townsite Solar 2 Data Center, proposed for an area of open desert west of Highway 95 and south of Interstate 11.
Boulder City resident Brynn DeLorimier started a Change.org petition that now has more than 4,600 signatures. A supporter suggested she make a visual statement and gave her 50 blank yard signs.
“I’ve got a bunch of spray paint. I love spray painting things. So started with that and a couple of stencils and those 50 went so fast. So she’s like, I’ll send you another 100. Those went, she sent another 100, then sent another 100 and we painted the town,” DeLorimier said.
DeLorimier now has a spreadsheet of requests and works with a team of volunteers to deliver the signs daily throughout Boulder City.
Concerns about environmental impact
Residents have raised concerns about noise pollution, light pollution and heat.
“That outputs a ton of heat. And if you look around, there’s mountains in every direction. So this is a little basin. So we are worried that heat would just stay here and bake our town,” DeLorimier said.
National trend of local resistance
The pushback against proposed data centers is not unique to Boulder City.
This week, nonprofit SciLine hosted a discussion as accelerating demand for new data centers means many communities are being asked for the first time where and how to permit their construction.
“The push and the urgency to build data centers are coming from a national level, but much of the decision making on data centers take place locally, and the impacts are also felt locally,” said Dr. Kate Stoll with the Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues.
“Communities, in particular, are realizing this trade off between water and energy usage on data centers. And pushing back and saying, like, hey, these are our resources and, you know, there is value at them that’s, you know, not in the form of a dollar sign,” said Dr. Kerri Hickenbottom, Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Arizona.
Next steps
Boulder City officials are expected to hear more about the proposal at the next Planning Commission meeting on May 20.
A group of residents including DeLorimier have submitted a citizens initiative ballot question to the city clerk’s office. It seeks to require voter approval for any data center proposal within Boulder City limits. They will be collecting 1,700 signatures from registered Boulder City voters for that question to make the ballot in November.
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