Lafayette passes temporary ban on data centers. ‘We don’t know what we don’t know,’ says city official
Lafayette City Council approved a temporary moratorium on applications for new data centers to give officials time to study their potential effects on water, electricity, utilities and the environment. City staff will review whether the land use code adequately regulates data centers before proposing possible permanent rules.
The Lafayette City Council voted Oct. 6 and gave final approval Oct. 20 to a temporary ban on applications for new data centers. Councilmember Annmarie Jensen said the pause would allow the city to better understand the facilities’ potential impacts, while Deputy City Attorney Erin Poe said the existing land use code does not sufficiently address resource use and utility impacts.
During the moratorium, city staff are expected to work with the Sustainability and Resilience Advisory Board and Planning Commission to evaluate the code and develop possible revised regulations for City Council consideration. The action reflects broader concerns among Colorado communities about data centers’ electricity and water consumption, environmental effects and pressure on power grids, while industry supporters say additional facilities are needed to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence and digital services.