• Monarch Data Center would involve 150 MW in phase 1
• Would eventually span 505 acres and include 14 buildings
• Carlyle has committed to providing project equity and parent guarantees

Copia Power is proposing to build a massive USD 11bn data center complex in Mason Valley, Nevada according to planning documents submitted to the Lyon County Commission ahead of a vote on August 7.

The project, known as the Monarch Data Center, would span 505 acres and include 14 separate buildings totaling 4.6 million square feet of data center capacity, along with extensive onsite power infrastructure and energy storage systems.

The proposed development would be built in phases and divided between two campuses. Campus One would house eight data center buildings, a switching station, and a substation, while Campus Two would include six buildings and an additional substation. According to site plans, the buildings would each cover about 7.5 acres and be supported by battery energy storage systems and up to 500 MW of onsite natural gas power generation, including single-cycle combustion turbines.

A new gen-tie line would connect the project to the nearby Walker River Substation, which is currently under construction as part of NV Energy’s Greenlink Transmission Project. The substation, along with the planned Greenlink West and Greenlink North 525-kilovolt transmission lines, is designed to serve growing power demand from large-scale energy consumers like Monarch.

Copia Power expects to invest USD 8bn billion in capital expenditures as part of the project, including USD 4bn in labor costs, with 1,400 direct and indirect jobs projected during construction, according to a fact sheet included with the application. Additional economic benefits include roughly USD 16m in state sales tax and USD 8m to local governments over the construction phase.

Copia’s equity is backed by The Carlyle Group, which will also provide project equity and parent guarantees for the campus, according to the documents. The company plans to raise construction debt, term debt, and tax equity, beginning six months before construction commences.

To meet the site’s power demands, Copia is proposing to connect via an existing utility corridor or alternative routes. The project’s initial development phase is expected to support 150 MW of load, with remaining capacity built out over time depending on infrastructure readiness. No county water or sewer hookups will be required, as the site will rely on waterless cooling and on-site wastewater systems.

Once operational, the campus is expected to generate USD 562,000 annually in property taxes, with USD 200,000 directed to the Lyon County School District and the remainder split between the county, hospital, fire protection, and pool districts.

The Lyon County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the project in July, forwarding it to the Board of Commissioners for final consideration.

On its website, Copia touts a 12 GW data center project pipeline.

Representatives of Copia Power and Carlyle did not respond to emails seeking comment.