Alamosa County Commissioners approve AI data center
The Alamosa County Commissioners approved a container-based AI data center proposed by Strata Inc. for the Mosca-Hooper area, despite concerns from some residents and one commissioner about future data center development. The project, which will consume 3 megawatts of power, received support from the local electric cooperative due to excess capacity.
Alamosa County Commissioners have approved a container-based AI data center project proposed by Strata Inc. for the Mosca-Hooper area, giving AI data centers a new foothold in the county. The approval came after a 2-1 vote, with Commissioner Arlan Van Ry casting the lone dissenting vote, expressing concerns that the project felt rushed and would open the door for more data center developments in the county.
Strata founder David Meyer highlighted Alamosa County's unique opportunity for building data centers in a "symbiotic relationship," aiming to offer an alternative to larger hyperscaler models. The project will initially construct 12 containers, with a full build-out of 21 containers, consuming a total of 3 megawatts of power. Richard Hubler, Alamosa County's land use director, mentioned that Colorado's noise regulations would govern the data center's noise levels.
Eric Eriksen, head of the San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative, supported the project, stating that the data center would help stabilize rates for its customers due to the cooperative's excess capacity from reduced farming operations. Meyer indicated that the exact customer base is yet to be determined, with a hope for local companies requiring more computing power. The facility will be built on two acres of an 80-acre parcel, 1.75 miles southeast of Hooper.