How a 14-year-old joined the fight against the Project Taurus data center
A 14-year-old in Colorado Springs, Kyle McGuffey, has become deeply involved in the opposition to Project Taurus, a proposed data center by Raeden. He filed public record requests that revealed potential power demands several times higher than what the company initially proposed. These findings are now being used by opposition groups in their appeals against the project's development plan.
Kyle McGuffey, a 14-year-old from Colorado Springs, has emerged as a key figure in the opposition against Project Taurus, a proposed data center planned by California-based company Raeden. McGuffey learned about the project via TikTok and subsequently initiated public records requests with the Colorado Springs municipal government and Colorado Springs Utilities, seeking planning documents, environmental impact studies, and communications related to the data center.
His investigation uncovered a "power overview" proposal from Raeden to Colorado Springs Utilities, indicating the data center could utilize up to 300 megawatts of power, significantly more than the 50 megawatts Raeden later stated was the maximum available for the site. Raeden co-founder Jason Green clarified that the 300 MW figure was for an early, conceptual discussion, not a detailed proposal. However, McGuffey's findings have been cited by opposition groups, including Integrity Matters and No Data Center COS, who are organizing appeals against the development plan.
McGuffey has joined the No Data Center COS Facebook group, spoken at a City Hall event, and addressed the Colorado Springs City Council. He plans to continue his advocacy and public records research, advocating for civic engagement education in schools. His involvement highlights the growing public concern and organized opposition surrounding data center developments in the region.