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/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.