Data center forum leaves questions for community
A Wyoming Outdoor Council forum in Cody examined the potential impacts of hyperscale data centers, including heavy electricity and water demands, grid infrastructure costs, and effects on wildlife. Speakers discussed Project Tembo, a Tallgrass and Google development planned for Cheyenne, while community members questioned whether proposed community benefits and agreements would be enforceable.
The Wyoming Outdoor Council held a forum in Cody led by data center campaign manager Jocelyn Wulf, who outlined growing developer interest in Wyoming and the potential consequences for communities. She focused on electricity consumption, water use, transmission upgrades, tax incentives and possible effects on wildlife habitat and migration corridors. Wulf said Project Tembo, a Tallgrass and Google data center under development in Cheyenne, could initially require 2.7 gigawatts and eventually scale to 10 gigawatts, with on-site natural-gas generation planned.
Wulf also discussed temporary data center moratoriums and community benefit agreements, citing Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where developers agreed to economic benefits, water limits, local hiring and financial penalties. Cody- and Powell-area attendees, including Ann Trosper, Amy Johnson, Nicole Forsberg and Todd Johnson, questioned whether such agreements could be enforced if companies entered bankruptcy or pursued lengthy legal disputes. The forum ended without resolving those concerns, while the Wyoming Outdoor Council said it favors policy changes and responsible-development rules rather than a moratorium.