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Thursday, Sep 17, 2026

Did Aaron Ford give data centers millions of dollars that were meant for Nevada schools?

Tabitha Mueller, The Nevada Independent
no

Nevada gave more than $240 million in sales and use tax breaks for data centers under Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and his predecessor, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. 

The tax break program passed in 2015 with support from Democrats and Republicans, including Attorney General Aaron Ford (D), who co-sponsored the legislation when he was Senate majority leader.

Tax breaks refer to foregone tax revenue in the form of abatements, not direct cash handouts. 

This means schools in Nevada could theoretically receive less tax revenue than they otherwise would have, but it did not literally take money already appropriated for schools and transfer it to data centers.

Ford said in a recent IndyTalks that “the data centers of 11 years ago are not the data centers of 2026. … The dynamics have changed.”

He added that his position has shifted as everyone has learned more about data centers.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

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