Lyon County Clears Path for 505-Acre Data Center Development
December 8, 2025
A significant step has been taken in the expansion of Nevada's data center landscape, as local officials greenlight a land use change for a major new campus. This approval highlights the continued push by developers and technology firms into regions offering available land and energy infrastructure to support the growing demands of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners voted on December 4 to rezone approximately 505 acres of land from Agriculture to Specific Plan, paving the way for the proposed 'Monarch Data Center.' The project, spearheaded by developer Copia Power—a green energy firm backed by private equity giant Carlyle Group—envisions a large-scale campus on two parcels at 150 and 155 Penrose Lane.
The development plan outlines a north and south campus featuring multiple data center buildings, a battery energy storage system, a natural gas backup system, a substation, and associated power lines. The initial phase is slated to deliver 150 megawatts of capacity across two to four buildings. While the total capacity at full build-out remains unspecified, plans indicate the on-site natural gas backup system could support up to 500MW. The developer estimates a construction timeline of two to three years for full completion, though it notes progress is "largely dependent on the utility infrastructure availability over a five to 10 year time span," referencing the completion of NV Energy's Walker River Substation and Greenlink transmission line projects.
Despite the rezoning victory, the project faces hurdles. Construction cannot begin without further approvals, and some local opposition has emerged. Residents have voiced common concerns regarding potential environmental impacts. The identity of the primary tenant for the data center also remains undisclosed.
The move signals Lyon County's entry into a competitive regional market. The area around Reno, which includes Lyon County, already hosts facilities for major operators like Switch, Apple, Google, and Microsoft. For its part, Copia Power, founded in 2021, currently operates 750MW of generation assets primarily in the Western U.S. and boasts a pipeline of over 37GW in generation and 10GW in load projects.
Source: datacenterdynamics
Nevada's Lyon County Approves Rezoning for Major 'Monarch' Data Center Project
