Broomfield City Council gives preliminary OK to temporary halt on new data centers
The Broomfield City Council has given preliminary approval to an 18-month moratorium on new data center construction in the city. This temporary halt will allow the city to develop new regulations concerning data centers, addressing impacts on water utilities and infrastructure. A final vote on the ordinance is scheduled for July 7.
The Broomfield City Council has given preliminary approval for an 18-month moratorium on new data center construction within the city. The unanimous early vote, which excluded Councilmember Austin Ward, occurred during a Tuesday night meeting. The temporary halt is intended to provide the city with time to conduct a comprehensive review of data center impacts and integrate new regulations into the city's municipal code.
According to a council memo, the proposed ordinance defines a data center as a facility with projected load requirements of at least ten megawatts, primarily housing IT equipment for data processing, storage, or telecommunications. City and County Manager Jennifer Hoffman noted that Broomfield already hosts data centers, such as one for JPMorgan Chase, which are part of internal business operations. Officials highlighted the need for a multi-department code project to address land use, water utilities, and overall infrastructure impacts. A second and potentially final vote on the ordinance is slated for July 7.