Costilla County, South Fork enact data center moratoriums
Costilla County and the town of South Fork in Colorado's San Luis Valley are enacting year-long moratoriums on AI data centers. This proactive measure aims to allow local governments time to develop specific land use and zoning codes before any data center applications are submitted. Public opposition and environmental concerns are driving these efforts to regulate potential development.
Local government agencies in Colorado's San Luis Valley, including Costilla County and the town of South Fork, are proactively placing year-long moratoriums on artificial intelligence data centers. This action comes amidst rumors of potential data center development, though no applications have been formally proposed.
At a recent Costilla County Planning Commission meeting, which saw high public tension and opposition, commissioners approved a year-long moratorium. This decision will now be presented to the county commissioners for final approval. Planning Commissioner Joseph Quintana clarified that no data center applications had been submitted and reaffirmed the commission's decades-old mission to protect the environment and local way of life, stating that data centers were "the antithesis" of community goals. County Attorney Carle Turnetzer-Decker noted that the county's existing codes lack any mention of data centers, prompting the need for a thoughtful new ordinance.
The town of South Fork's planning and zoning board is also moving forward with similar measures, including a public hearing to gather feedback for devising specific zoning codes. The town's board of trustees already passed a year-long moratorium in June and added a definition for data centers to its municipal code, publicly stating their intent to get ahead of any potential proposals. Saguache County was identified as the first in the Valley to implement such a moratorium.
Concerns about rural communities being targeted by developers for perceived "less red tape" were highlighted by Lindsay Rogers of Western Resources Advocates, who noted potential issues with large water users. However, Eric Eriksen, CEO of SLV Rural Electric Cooperative, pointed to the Valley's underutilized energy capacity, existing fiber networks, and potential for solar production as factors that could attract smaller, more efficient "rural data centers" that use air-cooling instead of water, indicating the Valley could be a viable location if proper regulations are in place.