Wyoming Siting Council urged to regulate data centers
Residents in Cheyenne, Wyoming, are increasingly protesting the proliferation of data centers, citing concerns over their impact on views, infrastructure, water, and noise. Former State Senator Rex Arney has proposed expanding the authority of the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council to better regulate data center developments. Local officials are also considering a large workforce housing complex to accommodate data center construction workers.
Columnist Joan Barron highlights the growing public outrage in Cheyenne, Wyoming, over the rapid expansion of data centers, which residents claim are destroying scenic views, straining local infrastructure, and raising concerns about water usage and noise. National publications like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post have also reported on Wyoming's data center boom and local opposition.
Former Wyoming State Senator Rex Arney has put forth a proposal to empower the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council, a division of the Department of Health, to oversee data center projects. Currently, the council requires multi-million dollar industrial projects to provide impact funds to communities, but an exclusion in the law prevents it from regulating developments on local government units like city-owned business parks, where several Cheyenne data centers are located. Arney's suggestions aim to close this loophole, allowing the council to address the local impacts of data center construction.
Reports from the New York Post and Wall Street Journal underscore the scale of development, noting ten data centers operational, five under construction, and nine announced in Wyoming, particularly around Cheyenne. This surge has led to considerations for a "man camp" by Iron Guard Housing, a proposed temporary workforce housing complex for up to 5,600 laborers in Cheyenne, sparking further alarm among residents who recall negative experiences from past boom-era housing. Public distrust concerning the pace of development and its long-term environmental and social impacts remains high.