Cheyenne Data Center Moratorium Proposed for Smart Planning

Cheyenne City Councilor Mark Moody has sponsored a 12-month moratorium on new data center construction in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The proposal comes as petitions circulate among constituents, raising questions about the long-term impacts of rapid data center expansion, particularly intensified by the proposed annexation of ranch land near Happy Jack Road. The article highlights several key concerns. While Black Hills Energy implemented a tariff requiring large data users (above 13 megawatts) to build their own substations, long-term questions persist about the main power grid's capacity if existing data centers need more power. Water usage, though currently low at 1.2% of Cheyenne's total supply due to closed-loop cooling, raises concerns about cumulative draw and environmental impacts if the number of data centers grows from 12 to 40-70. Security is also a consideration, as a dense cluster of data centers in a rural state like Wyoming could be an attractive target. Furthermore, the expansion threatens agriculture, a cornerstone of Laramie County's economy, by potentially driving up land values and accelerating the loss of farming and ranching land. Moody emphasizes that the moratorium is not anti-growth but rather pro-planning, aiming to provide the city with time to analyze future power needs, water demand, land use, and security implications. He seeks sustainable and secure growth aligned with the community's long-term well-being.