EDITORIAL: A winning formula for a Springs data center

Colorado Springs city officials are being commended for their proactive approach in facilitating the development of what is slated to be Colorado's largest data center. The facility, developed by California-based real estate and tech firm Raeden, will occupy the former 450,000-square-foot Intel microchip manufacturing plant on Garden of the Gods Road, with three smaller buildings at 1565 High Tech Way to be demolished for new generators and chiller units. This development by Colorado Springs stands in contrast to its northern neighbor, Denver, where the city council and mayor are pursuing a moratorium on new data center construction due to concerns over water usage and a desire for new regulations on land, energy, and water use, alongside zoning and affordability. Raeden founder Jason Green stated the Garden of the Gods facility, a 50-megawatt project, will consume half the power of the original chip plant and use a "minimal" amount of water through an "air-cooled closed-loop system," requiring no external water. The editorial praises Colorado Springs for embracing the tech sector's economic benefits while implementing environmental safeguards, creating well-compensated IT and construction jobs. The project is expected to create 40-100 permanent, high-paying positions. Pikes Peak region residents are invited to a neighborhood meeting on April 7th at the Hyatt Place hotel to learn more about the project's community impact.