The Trump administration is eyeing more than 3,000 acres of Idaho public land near Shoshone for another massive data center. The proposed Falcon Data Center would span Jerome and Lincoln counties, in the heart of Legislative District 26, just weeks after news broke of another massive data center proposed on thousands of acres of public land south of Boise.
More than 6,000 acres of Idaho public land are now being considered for private data center development, threatening public access and putting additional demands on the water and electricity that Idaho communities and farmers rely on. The Trump administration is considering at least 35 data center-related applications covering more than 24,000 acres of federal public land across six Western states, and federal land managers have been directed to find even more sites.
In response, District 26 Democratic legislative candidates Sen. Ron Taylor, Anita Janis, and Kevin Marsh released the following joint statement:
“Our public lands are part of what makes Idaho special. They’re where we hunt, fish, and make memories with our families. Now thousands of acres near Shoshone could be turned over for a massive data center, with no clear answers about what that would mean for our water supply, our farmers and ranchers, or our access to public lands. Republican leaders have pushed to fast-track projects like this while giving the data center industry sweetheart tax breaks. Idahoans need leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up to the politicians and powerful corporations behind these deals. Those are the policies our Republican opponents are running to defend. We’ll fight to protect our public lands and water, even when it means taking on those in power.”
REMINDER: The proposals come as the Trump administration pushes to fast-track data center development on federal land, while Idaho Republicans have already handed the industry sweetheart tax breaks. Under a law enacted in 2020, qualifying data centers are exempt from paying sales tax on millions of dollars in equipment and construction materials, even as Idaho families continue paying sales tax on groceries.
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