Monument council to vote on data center moratorium

The Monument Town Council in Colorado is scheduled to vote on a potential moratorium on data center development during upcoming July meetings. The proposal, presented by Senior Planner Jenna Gorney at a June 15 meeting, aims to implement a temporary pause on new data centers to allow town staff to thoroughly research their potential positive and negative impacts on the community.

The idea has already met with strong opposition from some council members. Council member Kenneth Kimple vocally expressed his disapproval, stating that the cons of a data center in Monument far outweigh the pros. He criticized data centers as "noise generators, pollution generators, and heat generators," arguing that Monument is not a suitable location for them, especially given the town's existing industrial presence.

Monument would join a growing number of Colorado municipalities and counties that have taken similar actions. Jefferson, Larimer, and Boulder counties, along with the City of Denver, have all passed data center moratoriums. Additionally, the City of Longmont has approved a ban on data centers consuming over 100 megawatts of power, and approximately 14 states nationwide are reportedly considering or have considered outright bans on new data centers.