Reno council declines to open citywide data‑center rules after heated public debate

The Reno City Council declined on Feb. 26 to begin a formal citywide rewrite of zoning rules for data centers, voting 3‑3 on a motion to initiate a text amendment that would have created new, citywide standards for energy, water and noise. The meeting followed more than two hours of public comment from residents, business groups and environmental advocates weighing potential tradeoffs of rapid data‑center development in Northern Nevada.

Why it matters: speakers said data centers already proposed for the region can strain local power and water systems, create persistent low‑level noise and receive state tax incentives that reduce local revenue. Supporters of permitting urged the council to be cautious about introducing new rules that could drive projects to other counties. Council members who opposed the amendment said the city’s conditional‑use process already gives the public and elected officials a way to examine each project and add conditions.

The debate grew out of a 2023 administrative interpretation and a subsequent zoning cleanup approved last year that created a specific land‑use definition for data centers and required formal public review for such projects. Staff said the administrative interpretation was added to create consistency while planners studied what a long‑term code change should look like.

Progress and process: Angela Fuess, Reno’s principal planner, told the council the city already requires data centers to undergo conditional‑use review and to meet existing…