Data Centers

Introduction

Data centers are swarming into Nevada communities, draining our water, and jacking up our energy bills – and Joe Lombardo is handing them Nevadans’ tax money to do it. 

Lombardo has said that he is “wholeheartedly in support of data centers.” Data centers are one of Lombardo’s largest campaign contributors and he has given data center companies over $200 million of Nevadans’ tax dollars, money that could be used to feed our kids, fix our roads, and keep the lights on in our homes. On top of that, Lombardo has failed to hold data centers accountable for delivering on the commitments they’ve made to Nevadans. 

While Nevadans speak out about data centers threatening their land, water, and ability to pay their bills, Lombardo touts the failing status quo as a “model”. From Reno, to Yerington, to Boulder City, to Pahrump, to Vegas, Nevadans are demanding better – and so is Attorney General Ford. 

As the make-stuff-cost-less Governor, Aaron Ford will not allow data centers to raise costs on Nevadans by one penny. Ford will stop awarding tax breaks for data centers until they prove that they’re holding up their end of the bargain. When Ford is Governor, data centers will need to bring their own clean energy, electrical grid infrastructure, and water. And Ford will make sure communities are heard when they speak up. 

Ford’s tenure in public service has been defined by successfully holding Big Pharma, Big Tech, and Wall Street companies accountable – and he’ll do that same for data centers when he is Governor. 

Section 1: Protecting Nevadans' Pocketbooks

• No Tax Abatements Until Data Centers Deliver: Data centers have promised jobs, tax revenue, and economic benefits – but the Lombardo administration is asleep at the wheel and not tracking whether data centers make good on those promises. Ford will pause new tax abatements for data centers while his Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) audits data centers to verify if they’ve delivered on their commitments. 

• No Utility Price Hikes: No Nevadan should see their energy bills increase or suffer energy outages as a result of data centers. Ford will make data centers pay for not just the energy they use, but also the electrical grid updates needed to deliver an increased total supply of energy to consumers. Ford will also require data centers to use clean energy in their operations. 

• Create Good Union Jobs: Ford will demand that data centers create sustainable jobs with top-notch health care and abide by stringent safety standards. Ford will also insist that data center companies adhere to prevailing wage standards, and will strongly encourage data center companies to negotiate project-labor agreements with the unions working on those data centers so that workers can receive the top-of-the-line benefits they deserve.

• Ensure Transparency: Ford knows that a policy is only as good as its enforcement, and Joe Lombardo has failed in this area. As Governor, Ford will instruct his Office of Economic Development to track the amount of jobs, tax revenue, and economic activity created by every data center, and make that information publicly available so that communities know what they’re getting out of any given data center.

Section 2: Standards and Accountability

• Protect Our Water: With Lake Mead projected to drop to its lowest-ever level this July and temperatures projected to soar to their highest-ever levels this summer, it is imperative for data centers not to worsen Nevada’s existing water and extreme heat crises. Ford will extend Southern Nevada’s ban on evaporative cooling statewide, and require data centers to utilize the latest technologies, including but not limited to closed loop water systems.

• Community Input: Community voices should be centered in the data center buildout. Ford will require data center companies to be transparent with communities about how any given data center will impact them and the steps they’re taking to ensure that communities are not harmed. Ford will also hold public hearings for the potential buildout of each data center to ensure that local communities have the chance to weigh in. 

• Community Benefits: Ford will work with local governments to support them in negotiating strong community benefits agreements with data center companies, so that communities are in the driver’s seat and are getting real benefits out of data center activity. As part of those negotiations, Ford will strongly recommend that data centers hire local, so that Nevadans benefit first and foremost.

• Closing Loopholes: Ford will oppose the Trump Administration’s attempts to circumvent Nevada’s data center labor, energy, and water guardrails by building data centers on federal land and will work to ensure that building more affordable housing on federal land is prioritized.