PAHRUMP (FOX5) — The Nye County Board of Commissioners held a town hall Saturday to gather public input on a proposed data center development in southern Nevada, drawing a large crowd both inside and outside the Nye County Commission Building.
The meeting focused on the planned Manse Technology Campus, formerly known as Project Blackjack. Developers say the proposed 900-acre facility would create hundreds of jobs and generate funding for schools, public safety, and other services.
MORE ON FOX5: Pahrump residents protest proposed AI data center, citing water and utility concerns
Residents raise water concerns
A majority of those in attendance opposed the project, with many citing concerns over water usage in the desert community.
“Our water is still important. We are the living things that are surviving out here. To pledge our water to others is a critical and harmful mistake,” one resident said. “We will end up a ghost town once our water is depleted.”
Another resident questioned why developers chose the region for the project. “If they want to build a data center, why don’t they go along the ocean and build a data center along there? Do it where people have water. They want to come here, build a data center, and kill everybody here,” the resident said.
Developers respond, plan follow-up meeting
The Manse Technology Campus website states the facility uses a cooling system that recycles water and will not drain local supplies. Developers attended Saturday’s town hall to hear public feedback.
A second public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 3 at the Pahrump Nugget Hotel & Casino. Residents unable to attend in person can submit feedback online at mansetechcampus.com.
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