Colorado Springs mayor announces ‘community-first’ standards for data centers
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade announced six "community-first" standards for data centers in response to local opposition to Project Taurus, a proposed 50-megawatt facility by Raeden. The City Council will hear appeals regarding Project Taurus and will use these new standards in its decision-making, which could lead to halting the project or adding conditions. Residents have voiced concerns over environmental impacts, utility use, and noise.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade announced a set of six "community-first" standards for data centers on Friday, a direct response to public backlash against "Project Taurus," a proposed 50-megawatt data center facility.
Project Taurus, spearheaded by California-based technology company Raeden, has faced significant opposition from residents, primarily due to concerns about its potential environmental impacts, including pollution, utility usage, and noise. The Mayor emphasized his commitment to ensuring data centers adhere to these standards without imposing undue costs on residents. A city official confirmed that the City Council will incorporate these standards into its upcoming decision-making processes regarding such projects.
The City Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting on September 17 to hear appeals concerning Project Taurus. During this meeting, the council will have the authority to halt the project, approve it, or impose additional conditions. Previously, 89 residents spoke against the project at a July Planning Commission meeting, which subsequently added several restrictions, such as capping power usage and requiring utility disclosure for the first decade of operation.
Raeden, the developer, has asserted that the Colorado Springs data center would "give back millions of gallons of water per day" and implement measures to mitigate noise from its generators and cooling equipment. A third-party study cited by Raeden suggests that its designs would maintain sound levels at property lines between 40-45 dBA.