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Lyon County tentatively approves 1,000‑MW Monarch data center PUD despite heavy public opposition
Summary
After more than six hours of public comment overwhelmingly opposing the Monarch data center, the Lyon County Board of County Commissioners voted 3–1 with one abstention to grant tentative approval to a planned‑unit development for a 1,000‑megawatt data center, subject to conditions including a 75‑foot maximum building height and traffic mitigations.
The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners voted tentatively to approve a planned‑unit development for the Monarch data center, a proposed 1,000‑megawatt, 4.6‑million‑square‑foot campus on roughly 505 acres in Mason Valley. The motion, made by Commissioner Hendricks and seconded by Commissioner Jacobson, passed with three commissioners voting in favor, one opposed (Commissioner Hockaday) and one abstention (Commissioner Casinelli).
The approval is tentative and carries conditions the board required before any site work begins. County staff and the developer said the conditions include a maximum building height of 75 feet (a concession from earlier 95‑foot materials), construction‑period traffic mitigations including a northbound passing lane on Wabuska Hill, and state permitting requirements such as water‑right conversion approval from the Nevada State Engineer and air and wastewater permits from NDEP. Senior planning staff emphasized that many state approvals remain required before grading or vertical construction can begin.
Opposition at the meeting was extensive. Dozens of residents and several tribal delegations told commissioners they feared permanent harm to water supplies, wildlife and cultural resources; many urged a moratorium until independent environmental and water studies are complete. "I would ask you to not vote on this item today until you have your ordinance and governing data centers," Jim Mujanda told the board during the public comment period. Tribes and conservation organizations also warned of cumulative impacts and legal risks if downstream concerns are not addressed.
Developers for Copia Power said they will phase work with grid availability, operate a closed‑loop primary cooling system with limited evaporative backup, and build on‑site water‑treatment and wastewater‑reuse systems. "We are here to discuss a $15,000,000,000 investment in Lyon County," Daniel Menahhem, Copia's senior director for development, told commissioners, and the developer projected hundreds of construction jobs and roughly 150–250 long‑term positions. The company also committed to fund the road improvements the county requested prior to major construction.
Commissioners framed the vote as a step in a multi‑stage approval process. Tentative PUD approval means the applicant has one year to return with a final PUD and the technical designs that will be reviewed by county staff, Mason Valley Fire Protection District, NDEP, the state engineer, NDOT and, where required, the Public Utilities Commission. The board can add further conditions during the final review or require changes if the design or state approvals change.
Next steps: the county will track outstanding state permits and coordinate timings for required off‑site improvements. Opponents said they plan legal and ballot options; tribal leaders said they will continue to press for federal and state review of impacts on treaty‑protected resources. The tentative approval does not itself authorize grading or construction.
