Heather Madrid Pushes For Data Center Moratorium In Cheyenne Despite City Council's Decision
Heather Madrid is continuing a petition drive for a data center moratorium in Cheyenne, Wyoming, despite the Cheyenne City Council voting 8-1 against a proposed 12-month moratorium. The petition aims to address concerns about transparency, regulation, and potential project abandonment, advocating for an independent working group to study data center impacts beyond just water and grid issues.
Heather Madrid, the organizer of a petition drive for a data center moratorium in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has announced her intention to continue the effort despite a recent vote by the Cheyenne City Council. On Tuesday night, the City Council voted 8-1 against a proposed 12-month moratorium on new data centers in the city.
Madrid, in a statement to Townsquare Media, indicated that the council's decision was based on the belief that questions regarding water and the power grid have already been addressed, and that city staff lack the capacity and expertise to further study data center impacts. Her petition, however, focuses on broader concerns, including transparency, the rapid scale of projects without adequate regulation, and the risk of project abandonment. It also advocates for the establishment of a working group or task force composed of citizens and independent experts, rather than city staff, to thoroughly examine these issues.
Madrid emphasized that the water issue, while valid, has become a "distraction" from a "multitude of issues" that she believes authorities have not adequately addressed. The ongoing petition drive highlights continued civic opposition and a push for more comprehensive oversight of data center development in Cheyenne.