Data Center Proposed for Public Lands Near Boise

A massive 4-million-square-foot data center was recently proposed southeast of Boise, near Blacks Creek, in an area valued by recreationists of all stripes. 

Rhea Data has proposed constructing this massive data center on YOUR public lands—3,700 acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands to be specific. This marks the first time a data center has been proposed for federal lands in Idaho, and the footprint would be four times the size of the Meta data center recently completed in Kuna and have a 600 MW capacity. Preliminary designs indicate that this data center would be powered by an on-site natural gas power plant, which are significant air polluters and greenhouse gas emitters.

Federal public lands are managed for a variety of multiple uses, from wilderness, wildlife habitat, and recreation to livestock grazing, mining, and energy development. What they have not historically been used for are data centers—at least not yet. The Blacks Creek Reservoir and surrounding 600 acres serve as an oasis in otherwise arid rangeland that supports over 150 species of birds. Blacks Creek Bird Reserve is designated as an Audubon Important Bird area and is listed on the Idaho Birding Trail. The nearby Black's Creek Public Shooting Range is owned by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and is the most popular shooting range in Idaho. It is unclear how the data center would impact these resources.

This proposal comes on the heels of an executive order earlier this summer to build 12 data centers on public lands in six western states, including Idaho. Currently, the only project approved on public land would be located in Nevada, but that project approval has been stayed by a federal court due to a permitting violation. 

Data centers also require sprawling infrastructure, so the actual impact extends far from the footprint of these already massive facilities. Data centers require enormous amounts of water for cooling and it is unclear where these flows would come from. They also require astonishing amounts of energy, often necessitating gas-fired power plants.

Let’s be clear. Idaho’s public lands are not for sale, nor should they be the site of sprawling data centers and associated infrastructure. The Trump administration has continued to push for development of data centers despite public pushback and growing concerns over artificial intelligence. The Trump administration has also weakened public notification requirements and public comment opportunities for projects on BLM land. In addition, the administration is taking similar steps to weaken State Historic Preservation Offices which can play an important role in protecting historic resources from development. 

Public lands should not be sacrificed to private companies looking for a place to build massive data centers. Whether you live in Idaho or beyond, our public lands should be managed for public values—not converted into industrial sites. Speak up for public lands today. Take action at the link below to urge Congress to act now to prohibit data centers on public lands!