Federal Panel Blocks AI Data Center on Nevada Public Lands

The Interior Board of Land Appeals issued a temporary stay against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which had greenlit the 80-acre project by repurposing an environmental review originally intended for a solar power plant. The board ruled that the two projects were not substantially the same, finding that the BLM likely acted illegally by failing to conduct a site-specific environmental impact study. The decision halts construction, citing risks of irreparable harm including habitat destruction for the Mojave desert tortoise and significant air pollution.

Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity, joined Boulder City officials in challenging the project. Local opposition has simmered for months, with residents protesting the facility’s projected strain on water and energy resources. The ruling serves as a potential precedent for other sites identified under the White House’s 2025 AI Action Plan, which targets federal lands in states including Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina for industrial development. For now, the stay prevents further progress while the appeal undergoes a full review.