A recent report from Western Resource Advocates, highlighted by KUNR, warns that the rapid expansion of data centers in Nevada and across the Mountain West will put enormous strain on our already-limited water and energy resources.

• Utilities project more than a 50% increase in electricity demand over the next decade, much of it driven by data centers.
• Water use for data centers in the region could reach 7 billion gallons annually — the same amount of water used by nearly 200,000 people in a year.
• In Nevada, emissions from NV Energy are already trending upward, threatening both public health and our climate commitments.

As people of faith, we understand this not simply as an economic or technological issue, but as a matter of justice, stewardship, and the common good.

Why This Matters for Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy

The ELCA’s Caring for Creation social statement calls us to protect God’s creation and ensure that environmental burdens are not unfairly placed on the most vulnerable. In Nevada, this means:

• Water Justice: Our desert state cannot afford to have water diverted without transparency. Communities, Indigenous nations, and rural households already live with scarcity.
• Energy Justice: Rising demand risks higher utility rates, which hit low-income families hardest.
• Creation Care: Data center growth must not come at the cost of more fossil fuel emissions. God calls us to preserve air, land, and water for future generations.
• Transparency & Accountability: Companies should be required to report their water and energy use, and tax incentives should only be granted when development advances sustainability and equity.

Our Call

Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada urges state leaders, regulators, and communities of faith to:

• Require full reporting of data center water and energy use.
• Tie tax incentives to renewable energy sourcing and water-efficient technologies.
• Protect ratepayers from cost increases driven by corporate development.
• Prioritize long-term sustainability and intergenerational justice in all utility and infrastructure planning.

Our Witness

As Lutherans, we proclaim that God’s creation is not a commodity to be exploited but a gift to be cherished. We will continue to advocate for policies that put people and planet before profit, ensuring that Nevada’s growth honors both justice for our neighbors and care for God’s creation.