Lochbuie approves 5-year pause on data centers
Lochbuie, Colorado, has approved a five-year moratorium on new and expanded data centers, which is reportedly the longest such pause in the state. The proactive measure was passed with a 6-1 vote by the Town Council, driven by community concerns about water usage and thoughtful future development, despite no data center proposals having been submitted yet. The decision reflects a growing trend among Colorado communities grappling with data center expansion.
The Lochbuie Town Council, a small town northeast of Denver, has enacted a five-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers. This decision marks the longest known data center pause in Colorado, according to the Colorado Municipal League.
Town leaders emphasized that the moratorium is a proactive measure, taken despite no data center developers having yet approached the town with proposals. The ordinance passed on a 6-1 vote, with one council member expressing concerns that a five-year timeframe was excessively long.
Lochbuie Mayor Jamie Jeffrey stated that the growing town of approximately 10,000 residents aims to be thoughtful about its future development. The decision was heavily influenced by public input; hundreds of emails were received, and residents packed the council meeting to voice their support for the temporary ban, including a 12-year-old who highlighted existing water restrictions.
This move by Lochbuie comes as other Colorado communities, such as Denver, which implemented a one-year pause, and Colorado Springs, which saw significant public opposition to "Project Taurus," grapple with the rapid expansion of data centers.