Lombardo Calls Data Centers a “Gold Rush” as Nevada Faces Water Shortage Fueled by Data Centers

Last week, as Nevadans voiced their dissatisfaction with data centers, Joe Lombardo called the uptick in their development a “gold rush.” This comes as Nevada faces skyrocketing utility costs and increased water shortages as it prepares to lose a sixth of its share of the Colorado River allotment thanks to the Trump Administration. 

Rather than put Nevadans’ best interests first, Lombardo has been data center companies’ #1 cheerleader, lauding data centers unchecked construction in the Silver State. Lombardo has given over $240 million in tax breaks to data centers as the number of operating or planned data centers in Nevada has risen to over 70 under his administration, despite there being little to no actual proof they’ve delivered on creating tax revenue, sustainable jobs, or economic investment. 

Lombardo has benefited from over $2 million dollars in campaign contributions from pro-data center and AI donors seeking to send Nevadans’ costs soaring. Despite the outrage Nevadans have voiced over the data center buildout, Lombardo holds up the current status quo as a “model”. 

“As Nevada faces increased water shortages and utility costs, Lombardo’s tax-payer funded data centers are set to further drain our water supply,” said Attorney General Aaron Ford. “But instead of protecting our best interests from greedy data center companies leaching our resources and driving up prices, Lombardo called unchecked data center construction a ‘gold rush’. Given that Lombardo’s reelection is being bankrolled by data center donors after he gave them hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks, this isn’t surprising. I’m running for Governor to stop Lombardo’s data center gravy train and protect our natural resources and lower costs – and I won’t be afraid to stand up to Trump and the special interests backing Lombardo to do it.”

Last week, Ford announced that as Governor, he will stop tax abatements for data centers until they prove in an audit conducted by Ford’s GOED that they are making good on their commitments to Nevada. The plan is part of Ford’s newly-released data center accountability agenda, which centers around stopping data centers from raising Nevadans’ electricity bills and other utility costs and protecting Nevadans and our resources.

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