LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — U.S. Rep. Dina Titus is asking Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo to halt state tax abatements for data center projects built on federal land until the 2027 Nevada Legislature can review the issue, according to a letter sent Thursday.
In the letter, Titus, a Democrat who represents the Las Vegas area, cited a proposed data center adjacent to Boulder City and said residents have raised concerns about the project’s impact on water resources, extreme heat and grid resilience.
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Titus said the Bureau of Land Management’s Las Vegas Field Office on June 26 approved an application by Townsite Solar 2, LLC to amend an existing right-of-way grant on an 80-acre parcel.
The original grant issued in 2023 authorized a 19-megawatt solar photovoltaic facility with battery storage, but the revised right-of-way allows the company to construct and operate a data center on the same Bureau of Land Management property, the letter said.
“I am concerned that BLM approved Townsite Solar 2, LLC’s application to amend its ROW grant, without community input or adequate environmental analysis,” Titus wrote.
Titus also questioned whether state renewable energy tax breaks previously approved for the project should still apply after the shift from a solar facility to a data center.
Titus cited a 2024 approval by the Governor’s Office of Energy for a partial tax rebate tied to solar generation and storage, with the total tax exemption estimated at about $24.3 million over 20 years, according to her letter.
Titus asked for responses by Aug. 10, including whether Lombardo’s administration has discussed state data center tax abatements with Townsite Solar 2, whether the project remains eligible for renewable abatements, and whether the governor would refrain from approving data center tax rebates for projects on Bureau of Land Management land until lawmakers reconvene.
She also asked Lombardo to commit to a transparent approval process with public input for proposed data centers on public lands.
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