Community members fired up by proposed AI data center in Colorado Springs

Residents from the Chelsea Glenn area of Colorado Springs gathered for a community meeting regarding a proposed artificial intelligence data center, where they expressed significant opposition to the project. The meeting, hosted by California-based developer Raeden, saw such a large turnout that many attendees were turned away due to capacity limits. The primary concerns voiced by residents, including retired Air Force Lt. Col. Mitch White, revolved around the data center's potential impact on local resources: increased water usage in a drought-prone area, noise pollution, and strain on the electrical grid. Developer Jason Green, founder of Raeden, stated the data center, planned for an old Intel chip fabrication plant, would use a closed-loop cooling system to reduce water needs to 200,000 gallons per day, significantly less than the original building's design. However, this system would increase power requirements, with the data center rated to use up to 50 megawatts, limited by a power purchase agreement with Colorado Springs Utilities. Green asserted that the data center's consistent high-efficiency power draw would benefit Colorado Springs Utilities by driving down operational costs, a claim utilities representatives at the meeting could not immediately verify. Residents were particularly concerned about the 50-megawatt initial power draw, which they noted only covers phase one of the project and could power tens of thousands of homes. Despite the site being technically zoned for a data center, residents were unhappy with what they perceived as a lack of transparency and leadership from the city, noting that Raeden, not the city, was hosting the public forum.