Residents urge pause and environmental review for proposed Boulder City data center

Dozens of Boulder City residents urged the City Council to pause consideration of a proposed data center, request an environmental impact study and provide clearer oversight as the project moves through the land-management and rezoning process.

In a series of public comments during the council’s second public-comment period, Kendra Dyson, a Boulder City resident, said a social-media poll she ran found broad opposition and asked the council to "pause" and require an environmental study and consultation with the Bureau of Reclamation about potential chemical impacts on the Colorado River. "If you take 10 seconds and you Google data centers, you will find thousands of articles ... I can't find more than maybe one or two positive ones," Dyson said.

Jeffrey Brown, founder of Infrastructuralist Corporation, warned of ecological and infrastructure risks, saying the facility could border protected land and that its post-construction water use may be underreported. He estimated that a 170-megawatt facility could require "about 40,000 gallons of water a day," and flagged concerns about noise and grid capacity. "There should be a serious environmental study being done on that and how that's going to impact the wildlife," Brown said.

Other residents raised related concerns. Carol Duncan Schultheis urged an environmental impact study, citing potential effects on birds and turtles and noting that developers sometimes require nondisclosure agreements that limit public information. Brenda L'Orme said a petition opposing the data center had more than 5,300 signatures and asked the council to delay further action until a formal environmental assessment is complete and the public can review it.

Several commenters challenged the developer's claim that the project would use a "dry system" for cooling. James J. Houts, an industrial water-treatment consultant, said from his experience a true dry cooling system "does not exist," and urged caution when accepting that claim at face value. By contrast, resident Rod Walters (speaking by phone) said he had attended an information session in which developers indicated the design would use a dry cooling approach, obtain wholesale power off the grid and employ noise and lighting controls.

Some speakers asked the council to slow the timeline and extract stronger benefits from any agreement. Tim Charo said the city should "play a little harder to get," asking for revenue sharing and requirements that developers provide their own power. Others, like Brandon Smith, acknowledged possible revenue but said the financial upside did not outweigh the perceived downsides.

The comments reflected recurring themes: water use, power sourcing and grid impacts, noise and lighting, wildlife and environmental study, transparency and public oversight. Several speakers asked who would monitor compliance and whether the city would rely on a single staff contact or a broader oversight team.

The council did not take action on the data center during the meeting. Multiple related bills and items were introduced for consideration at the council's May 12, 2026 meeting (as noted by the council during introductions), and speakers asked the council to postpone substantive decisions until environmental assessments and additional public review were complete.