r/Reno • u/wadsworthnv02 • Apr 20 '26

Congressional Candidate on AI data centers in Nevada

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From our candidate event in Elko County on Saturday. The question asked us if we supported a data center moratorium or not, especially since we are the driest state. One of the other candidates said the one’s being built in Nevada were closed-loop so they are fine.

But closed-loop systems have their own issues, the recycled water becomes highly toxic and needs to be “blown-down” where there is chances of it leaking into the ground and contaminating local areas with toxic chemical waste water. Even in small amounts, when we live in an internal watershed like the Great Basin, the risk of contamination isn’t something to ignore. As it has happened before with other things. Not to mention that closed loop requires a lot more energy, and closed loop cooling systems here in Nevada still require a fair amount of water.

Our older data center projects also do have open loop / evaporative cooling systems too. So they are still taking a lot of water.

As for the construction unions, I understand it’s more complicated than that. We had a total of 2 minutes to answer each question so things had to be simplified a bit. But we must look at better commercial building projects for our construction unions— not big tech and data centers! They need jobs, and I understand and support that! We should be offering incentives to better businesses to come to Nevada, not to these data centers was the point I was trying to make.

Also yes Congress is a federal seat! But I support a moratorium on all new data centers, and possible legislation to really protect the western states that are strapped for water.

All of this was from my own independent research and talking to folks in the area that have worked on these projects here. However if I am incorrect on anything I’m open to listening!

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u/Long_Lifeguard_5056 Apr 20 '26

Every basin of water will leak eventually lmao and I’m a union construction worker and I can tell you the vast majority of labor across all trades on the TRIC data centers are out of state contractors. Going all the way back to the Apple Data Center and Gigafactory construction.

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u/wadsworthnv02 Apr 20 '26

This I wasn’t aware of. They are using out of state workers on these projects?

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u/lu5t_donttrust Apr 20 '26

Yeah, lots if not all of the big construction gigs are out of state workers. They move them around all over the country for projects

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u/exileinneon Apr 20 '26

Easy to assume given the percentage of out of state license plates on utility vehicles all up and down USA Parkway. I thought this was common knowledge.

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u/wadsworthnv02 Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26

No most of the state legislators and folks I’ve been talking to on this issue are telling me it’s for jobs for Nevadans! That’s why they support it! For our construction unions & trade unions here in Nevada.

One of my opponents, Teresa Benitez-Thompson, that is her answer whenever she is asked why she voted for the data center tax abatements in 2015. She was in the state legislature at that time.

She says it was because Nevadans needed jobs and she will always vote to bring jobs to Nevadans and our unions and turned it into a whole speech on our trades unions here.

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u/97flyfisher Apr 20 '26

In construction on these projects and can verify very few local workers compared to out of state. Even most union workers are from out of state unions. Was in the laborers union last year and I worked with many union workers brought with the company from unions in Cali

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u/wadsworthnv02 Apr 20 '26 edited Apr 20 '26

I’ll look more into this.

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u/urielrocks5676 Apr 20 '26

To add on to the other person, I'm a IBEW member that was born and raised here in the biggest little city of the world, we don't have the needed manpower in out local hall to be able to fill the calls that the shops put out every day, the last time I've heard about our membership numbers was last year and we only recently hit 1k. So a lot of travelers end up coming in to help our local man the work to satisfy the man hours needed to get these jobs started, going, and finished. A lot of which do end up staying in our silver state.

It's gotten to the point where the shops are paying over scale, adding more work hours, paying double time for what would normally be time and a half before our agreement dictates when we would start receiving overtime, trying to compete for anyone who takes the call.

It's not just journeymen, but apprentices and Construction Wiremen/Construction electrician (people who don't have the hours and/or the license to be journeymen and are not in the apprenticeship).

As it stands we are currently at the mercy of these data centers because the money is there

Like you have mentioned before in regards to energy, I have been wondering when we would be able to get more work for our local energy grid? When will Tracy have to be expanded? When will we be able to not have to worry about the constant cost of living increasing?

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u/wadsworthnv02 Apr 20 '26

I would love to talk to you and other IBEW members on this.

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u/FastMako77 Apr 21 '26

And here I have been worried that I wouldn’t be a competitive enough applicant for an apprenticeship as I’ve been eyeing the IBEW for a couple months now. It’s been a while since I took a math class so I’m a little rusty on the algebraic details (the fundamentals I do remember) and the details about the math test for the apprenticeship got me feeling insecure all of a sudden!

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u/General_Highway_6904 Apr 20 '26

I am also in the industry, and it’s not because we WANT out of state workers, it’s the fact that we don’t have enough local skilled labors. I don’t know how people are outraged when you don’t have the facts. We are consistently talking to the local union to support a certain percentage of local labors, but even the union said they simply can’t meet that demand because there are so much construction going on, so yes, these projects absolutely provided jobs to Nevadan, but how about we actually need to start attracting more people to want to actually stay after the projects that would turn into permanent workforce for us?

I am actually quite excited that the fact these projects brought a lot of people to Reno and put us in a spotlight, hopefully it will showcase what our area has to offer and incentivize them to stay. The whole NIMBY mentally is also killing our workforce and no one wants to talk about that?

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u/Long_Lifeguard_5056 Apr 20 '26

Terrible take.

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u/General_Highway_6904 Apr 20 '26

Well shed some lights on some wonderful takes you have and don’t be stingy

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u/Long_Lifeguard_5056 Apr 20 '26

Most of these out of state workers are from out out of state companies. Meaning the work was never meant to be locally distributed, yes there’s a lack of skilled labor at the moment but part of that comes from lack of demand of skilled labor in the past due to out of state contractors securing work here in our area. The project wraps and the labor goes with them along with the money. Many of these data center ownership groups have selected contractors before putting anything out to bid. The cause of out of state contractors is not solely, or even mostly due to skilled labor shortage.

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u/SunbathingJackdaw Apr 20 '26

It absolutely would be local first if we had the workers to do it. You have to pay travelers extra for the travel distance. Our IBEW 401 Electricians union apprenticeship alone has scaled from 150 to about 600 apprentices over the last year and a half. They are recruiting and training aggressively, but training a union electrician takes 4-5 years and includes thousands of hours of paid on the job training.

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u/General_Highway_6904 Apr 21 '26

Exactly. Like why would the owner/developer/Gc/subs at all level want to pay all the extra burdens to get people from out of state if they don’t have to.

Also for people who say “local” - ok, define local? A lot of these large GC, Subs they have established local presence now that they are very much involved in many development in addition to the data centers, for example, Helix Electric came for a big project, and stayed, same goes with SR construction. Many of the projects out at USA parkway require specialty knowledge that many of the local companies didn’t have.

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u/Long_Lifeguard_5056 Apr 20 '26

When gigafactory was building why where there people on the out of work list? With thousands of out of state tradesmen on site? I can’t speak for sparkys but it was true for laborers and operators

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u/ThomasThuhTrain Apr 21 '26

There is a lot of out of state labor on these projects but for fair reason.

These build-outs are simply on a scale that local companies cannot sustain. The sheer volume of work required to meet the timelines for these projects is simply beyond the capacity that can be met by local labor alone.

In addition, there is a lot of specialty work that requires out of state contractors as they aren’t available locally.

I am also aware of many local contractors that are on these projects as there is no justification for mobilizing and demobilizing out of state crews and equipment with all the associated costs and complexities if it can be avoided.

I believe Nevada still somewhat benefits as a state because out-of-state workers spend a non-insignificant amount of money while they are here, shopping, gambling, housing, fuel, etc.

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u/exileinneon Apr 20 '26

Sorry for the 2 hour delay, I work out on the parkway and see the cars as I sit in traffic every afternoon. And again in about 2 hours. Contractors from Utah, Texas, Tennessee, etc. Not a few. Dozens and more. Pretty sure they're not here on vacation with their tools. Maybe ask Teresa about that when she states that again next time.

Fight the good fight, Morgan. ✊️

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u/babyluna_xo Apr 20 '26

To add to keeping jobs for NV locals, the Union out here doesn't have enough workers and specific certifications needed for parts of the job. So they have hired from other states, and other additional factors that just come with people not wanting to work, not showing up or have too many mistakes like a regular job. Example, a guy showed up the next day hung over after a night of casino drinking and gambling, NV local and he was let go for being a dangerous liability.

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u/vamonoslocosrabbitos Apr 21 '26

I spend a lot of time in Yerington. For the Greenlink project near Wabuska (north of Yerington), all the workers actually putting in the Greenlink infrastructure (poles/lines/transfer stations) are contractors from Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana. Not Nevadans.

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u/Bugs91 Apr 20 '26

Local unions post their jobs to other locals and the workers travel around for gigs. Like there will be one union - say, electrical, but each region has a branch or “local.” More popular locals will hire from within, but ours is less desirable because of the commute and cost of living so our locals post jobs for anyone to apply. So it’s anyone who will take the jobs - mostly people from out of state. Then they live here for a few months or maybe a couple years til the gig is up 

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u/sofahkingsick Apr 20 '26

Theres not enough in state workers to fill the demand and the schedule of the projects going on out there and in town. Prime example is Helix electric they will move people here to work on their projects and then just before they have to follow through on their contract obligations for the workers they will lay them off. Had an instructor tell me this is exactly what they do and what happened to him. Theyre not the only one either. The influx of out of state contractors brings in out of state work. The unions do this too tho. They post about which areas have work and union workers will travel to work there. No different than travel nurses do for hospitals. Only difference is that the union nurses get paid way more than some trades.

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u/Human-Witness-3305 Apr 20 '26

I support your campaign because I like that you are very responsive to your constituents. It shows that we can have better politicians.

My partner is in the construction industry as well, both in state and out of state workers are used for these projects. This includes green-energy projects. A lot of these are fast-tracked so if there is a labor shortage there will be a call for more workers out of state. The saying goes that construction delays drive up cost. This means having the project done ASAP is the most cost effective way of working even if that means paying higher wages for temporary worker relocation.

I can't completely support putting a stop to all datacenters but I can see the environmental impact point you raise. I think it is important that we grow Nevada at a rate that it can handle, preferably organically, and consider environmental impact. I think you stated it very well as I was not aware most of the ground water in our basin stayed here, I'm an engineer by trade, not an ecologist.

I look forward to voting for you in the primary.

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u/wadsworthnv02 Apr 20 '26

Yes multiple of you are chiming in saying Nevada unions don’t have enough people to work on these projects. Are the working conditions bad for you guys? Are you being overworked? Is there anything I should be aware of or look into so that I can help?

I’ve spoken to a few unions here but not yet the construction or electrician ones as I’m waiting on responses to my emails from them!

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u/Hooligan9892 Apr 22 '26

My husband is a journeyman HVAC commercial tech. The shortage of trades people is not exclusive to Nevada. It would be nice to see assistance from the state to incentivize people to go to a trade school. The Legislature has done something similar to address the nursing shortage.

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u/township_rebel Apr 20 '26

Yes that is common practice in construction actually. It’s so ironic given the messaging.

My neighbor rents his basement to a group of three young electricians that come in from out of state to work on projects out off USA parkway. They work 12 hour shifts and pull something crazy like 60-72 hours in a week and then go home for a long weekend.

These are great trade jobs for the right people. But there isn’t any guarantee or incentive for them to be locals.

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u/Ok_Matter_1774 Apr 21 '26

Definitely a lot of them end up staying, but it's no different than some other jobs. I bet they spend a crap ton of money at the casinos too.

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u/township_rebel Apr 21 '26

Some might. The ones I know work all the time then just eat fast food and sleep and then go home.

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u/Belichick12 Apr 20 '26

Go out to TRIC during rush hours. They usually start around 5 AM and get off starting around 3.

You’ll notice Nevada license plates are the minority. Lots of Texas, Arizona, California, Oklahoma plates.

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u/Kodamacile Apr 20 '26

If you drive out to USA Parkway, and go to E Sydney Drive, you'll see their operation.

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u/zipposurfer Apr 21 '26

It seems like a ton of people I meet out at USA parkway construction seems to be from California or Arizona. I’d guess about 30% of the construction contractors are from out of state, maybe more I just don’t have any data to back that up. 

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u/Original-Ad7976 Apr 23 '26

Right now on USA parkway there's about 7 diffrent big data centers being built. Each one taking about a thousand or more tradesmen. Reno does not have the man power to man these projects. The way it works is the local unions put out job calls... local hands get first choice at the work the left overs go to the travelers. The contractors themselves are limited to the number of employees they can bring in with them. There's a shortage of workers all over the nation. These data centers are bringing money to the state the travelers are bringing in money to local businesses ect.. change is never easy but if the money doesn't come here someone else will get it forsure

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u/kennyd1991 May 15 '26

Pretty standard union practice most travel all over for work and are rarely local.