Responsible Data Centers
We build data centers that are Responsible by Design™
Switch’s repeatable blueprint, modeled in Nevada, extends to every campus location we design, build and operate.
From investing in energy and infrastructure to engineering closed-loop cooling that eliminates water consumption, our approach starts with a simple principle: technology infrastructure should make the communities it serves stronger.
Did You Know
Data centers like Switch host the critical infrastructure that supports:
- Smartphones
- Social media platforms
- Streaming services
- Food delivery
- Sharing apps
- Text messaging
- Video calls
- End-to-end package tracking
- Secure digital health records
- Reliable telehealth
- Real-time navigation
- Always-on 911 dispatch
- Accessible online learning
- Up-to-the-minute weather forecasting
+ hundreds of thousands of other digital services used every day by individuals and businesses.
The Nevada Model
We have spent more than two decades developing a model designed to pay its own way, protect scarce resources, strengthen the infrastructure communities depend on, create durable local economic value, and remain accountable for its impact.
PAY OUR
OWN WAY
PROTECT SCARCE
RESOURCES
STRENGTHEN LOCAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
CREATE DURABLE
ECONOMIC VALUE
STAY ACCOUNTABLE
TO COMMUNITIES
Responsible Data Centers at a Glance
1.98 M
Solar Panels Built by Switch in Southern Nevada
$100 M+
Switch Is Building Out a $100M+ Water Recycling Plant in Tahoe Reno
500 mi
Miles of High-Speed Internet Fiber Infrastructure Donated to Rural Communities
$15 M+
Donated to Nevada Universities
$40 M+
Invested in Advanced Noise Protection
$250 M
Taxes Paid to Nevada to Build Parks, Schools, Roads
100%
Renewable Energy Since Jan 2016
Net-Zero
Scope 1 and Scope 2 Carbon Emissions Since 2021
Zero
Water Consumed in Closed Loop Data Center Design Used Since 2022
Net-Positive
Water Strategy Through Water Improvement Projects in Nevada
1,000+
Full-Time Nevada Employees
Approx. 4,500
Active Construction Workers
Switch’s Responsible Data Center Design
EVO, Switch’s zero water consumption, closed-loop data center design is the only design we will build going forward in Nevada and everywhere else. EVO represents the EVOLUTION of Switch’s efficient data centers engineered to maintain the advanced digital services that we rely on every day.
Questions & Answers
Data centers are becoming one of Nevada’s most discussed neighbors. Residents, community leaders and lawmakers are asking how this infrastructure affects power, water, noise, jobs and local economies. Those questions deserve measurable answers. These answers show how the company has addressed these issues in our home state and how the EVO design carries that standard into every Switch campus nationwide.
Why are data centers important?
Data centers like Switch host the critical infrastructure that supports smartphones, social media platforms, streaming services, food delivery and ride sharing apps, text messaging, email, online banking and hundreds of thousands of other digital services used every day by individuals and businesses.
What is a responsible data center?
A responsible data center is designed to provide reliable digital infrastructure while reducing environmental impacts, conserving natural resources and providing long-term support to the communities where it operates.
Does Switch use renewable energy?
Yes. Switch has operated using 100% renewable electricity since January 1, 2016 and supports renewable energy generation through projects including Switch Station 1 and Switch Station 2 in Southern Nevada comprised of approximately 1.98 million solar panels.
Does Switch measure the rest of its carbon footprint?
Switch has had net-zero Scope 1 (since 2016) and Scope 2 carbon emissions (since 2021). Scope 1 measures emissions produced directly by Switch-controlled operations, such as fuel burned in backup generators or company vehicles. Scope 2 emissions are associated with the electricity, heating, or cooling Switch purchases.
What does zero water consumption mean?
Zero water consumption means our closed-loop EVO data centers do not consume water to cool servers and GPUs. Our EVO data center design is the only design we will build going forward.
Why did Switch build a recycled water pipeline in Northern Nevada?
The 16-mile effluent pipeline funded by Switch delivers recycled treated water from Reno and Sparks to our Northern Nevada campus allowing additional treatment and beneficial reuse instead of discharging the nitrate-heavy water directly into the Truckee River. This will help protect an endangered species, the cui-ui fish, in the process.
What is the $100m advanced water treatment facility Switch is building?
Switch is now constructing a $100 million advanced water treatment facility. The facility will process over 650 million gallons of water every year. This facility will make Switch net positive for water usage in the state of Nevada and is the only plant of its kind built by a data center company in the United States.
How does Switch reduce its noise impact?
Switch has invested more than $40 million in sound-attenuation enclosures for its backup generators. Those systems are designed to add zero measurable noise increase for adjacent residential neighborhoods. Noise mitigation remains a standing capital commitment throughout campus operations.
How does Switch support Nevada?
Switch has paid more than $250 million directly in taxes to the state of Nevada. Switch clients have generated hundreds of millions more. The company has donated more than $15 million to Nevada universities, including UNLV and UNR. When Switch took over the Nevada Broadband Telemedicine Initiative from the Nevada Hospital Association, it delivered 500 miles of high-speed internet infrastructure to rural schools, hospitals and communities.
How many people does Switch employ?
Switch employs over 1,000 full-time employees in Nevada alone. We have been consistently building in Nevada for over two decades and have approximately 4,500 active construction workers across the state as well.
Our Nevada record matters beyond our home state. It demonstrates what responsible digital infrastructure can look like when a company plans for resources, invests for the long term and remains accountable to the communities that they serve.
Switch is proud to lead with the most responsible approach to intelligent technology infrastructure.