BLM asks judge to set aside Boulder City data center approval

The Bureau of Land Management has requested that a judge vacate its approval of a data‑center right‑of‑way amendment near Boulder City, seeking to allow the agency to revisit the decision. In a filing submitted on Monday, BLM attorney Kathryn Brinton wrote that the agency’s “decision to o.k. the right-of-way amendment beryllium acceptable speech to let the bureau to behaviour further reappraisal of the application.” The bureau did not respond to a request for comment on the filing. The proposed facility would be the first data center authorized on BLM‑managed land. According to the agency, it employed a “first‑of‑its‑kind maneuver” by altering an existing right‑of‑way originally granted for a solar project and relying on that project’s earlier environmental review without conducting a fresh analysis. The request follows a stay issued by Interior Board of Land Appeals Administrative Judge David Gunter, which halted construction while consolidated appeals from Boulder City and environmental organizations proceeded. In his ruling, Gunter stated, “The 2 projects are fundamentally dissimilar successful ways that impact the situation and necessitate meaningful investigation nether NEPA (the National Environmental Policy Act), yet BLM concluded that they are fundamentally alike,” arguing that the two projects differ enough to warrant a separate NEPA review. Monday’s filing also notes that the developer, Townsite Solar 2 LLC, supports the BLM’s request, while the Center for Biological Diversity and the Sierra Club have taken a neutral stance. A representative for the developer’s national relations team did not reply to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Center for Biological Diversity indicated that the group opposes the data center but does not intend to challenge the BLM’s effort to roll back its approval. Boulder City continues to oppose the motion, per the filing, and a city spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. This communicative is developing. Check backmost for updates.