Aurora, Colorado, Considers Data Center Water and Electricity Rules
Aurora, Colorado, is exploring new data center rules to minimize water and electricity consumption, particularly advocating for closed-loop cooling systems and renewable energy sources. This initiative aims to reduce environmental impact amid drought conditions and high ground ozone pollution. The author expresses hope that data center development can be slowed and built responsibly.
This article, a letter to the editor in The Denver Post, discusses Aurora, Colorado's ongoing consideration of new rules for data centers, focusing on reducing their substantial resource consumption. The author highlights the need for data centers to adopt water-efficient closed-loop cooling systems instead of evaporative cooling, especially given the region's persistent drought, wildfires, and increasing heat.
Additionally, the letter addresses the significant electricity demand from data centers and advocates for meeting this demand with clean energy and battery backup to mitigate climate pollution and high ground ozone levels in the Denver area. The author expresses a desire for the responsible construction of data centers, emphasizing water efficiency and clean energy sourcing, and suggests a potential slowdown in their development for community benefit and safety.