Senator Edward Markey Criticizes First Private Data Center Approved on U.S. Public Land

Sen. Edward Markey (D‑MA) charged the Trump administration with authorizing the nation's first private data center on public land, saying the move favors Big Tech over clean‑energy goals. Markey posted on Facebook, “Instead of building clean energy to lower utility bills, the President wants more data centers to make Big Tech rich using OUR land and resources. No way.”

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the Townsite Data Center project on 88.5 acres near the Townsite Solar 1 site in Boulder City, Nevada. The 167‑megawatt facility, proposed by Skylar Capital Management, was granted a permit originally intended for a solar project under Executive Order 14318, which aims to accelerate data‑center permitting. Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, have filed an administrative appeal, arguing the approval bypassed standard environmental review and public participation.

The controversy has sparked a broader debate over land‑use policy on federal lands and prompted a congressional resolution seeking to prohibit data centers on such property.