Developers of a data center that broke ground on Tuesday say it will be the largest infrastructure deployment in the United States. The center is situated in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC) along US Highway 395. Governor Lombardo attended and spoke at the ceremony for the newest Fleet Data Centers' project.
The President of Fleet Data Centers, Chris Vonderhaar, says this will cement Nevada's place as a tier one market for not only data centers, but other technology and development manufacturers, bringing in many investments for the area.
"That's super important because the companies that we deal with are some of the most innovative, most valuable and savvy companies on the planet. And they are choosing to come to Nevada and make that investment not just for a project, but for a string of projects, because as those companies come here, they want to double down on that investment time after time and leverage that investment," said Vonderhaar.
Governor Joe Lombardo ran on a "business first" promise during his previous campaign, and says this development delivers on that, while also looking out for neighbors.
"My concern as your governor is your concern, your kitchen table issues and ensuring that we are protecting you all along the way and not to the detriment of economic expansion. And I think that is what is occurring here," said Gov. Lombardo.
Vonderhaar echoed the sentiment.
"How does this impact the local community and create opportunities so that people can grow up here. People can work here, they can have their families here, and they don't have to go someplace else to pursue that opportunity," said Vonderhaar. "I've seen that all over the world in the data center campuses that we've built."
Community members have spoken out against this center and others coming to the area, saying they will damage the environment, impact the quality of living, and pull resources away from neighbors that need them. Vonderhaar and Gov. Lombardo say that's not necessarily true and is based on misconceptions about how the center will operate.
"We are making sure these projects strengthen our state without shifting costs onto working families," said Gov. Lombardo. "That's a common question when we talk about data centers and the people that aren't aware of all the nuances and the education that goes along with the success that comes with the data center, not the detriment that comes with the data center."
More than $1 billion has already been poured into the project, and tens of billions more are expected to be infused as the center takes off.
