Cheyenne City Committee Won’t Support — Or Reject — Data Center Moratorium
Cheyenne's Public Service Committee did not endorse or reject a proposed 12-month data center moratorium, sending it to the City Council for a final decision next week. The debate highlighted deep divisions among residents and workers regarding water use, noise, electricity demand, job creation, and transparency in development. State legislators also expressed interest in state-level solutions to address the issues raised by data center growth.
The Cheyenne Public Service Committee has sent a proposed 12-month moratorium on new data centers back to the full City Council without a recommendation after a four-hour, emotionally charged hearing. The committee's Monday decision underscores deep divisions in Cheyenne, where union workers laud the industry for providing significant employment opportunities, while residents express concerns over water usage, noise pollution, rising electricity demand, and the overall pace of development. The City Council is expected to make a final decision on the moratorium next week.
Councilman Mark Moody, who proposed the moratorium, framed it as a temporary pause driven by constituent concerns, likening the rapid expansion to a "runaway train." He noted that as many as 70 data center projects are potentially slated for the Cheyenne area, which could lead to a per capita density exceeding that of Loudoun County, Virginia. Residents like Nancy Sunde emphasized water conservation, stating, "You cannot drink data." Patricia McCoy echoed calls for transparency and accountability, criticizing the use of non-disclosure agreements by administration officials with large corporations, arguing it blinds both the public and legislative bodies to development details, especially concerning land rezoned for industrial use.
Opponents of the moratorium, including Crystal Edmonds-Carter, argued that a pause would negatively impact workers and their families, jeopardizing high-paying jobs with benefits. They advocated for smart oversight and responsible growth rather than halting development. Mayor Patrick Collins testified that city staff lack the expertise to conduct comprehensive environmental studies as requested by the ordinance, and that existing data shows current data centers use only 1.48% of the city's water, with new facilities employing water-frugal and air-cooled systems. He also stated that electricity rate increases were due to overall growth, not data centers, and that grid regulation is beyond the city's purview.
Amidst the local debate, state legislators Rep. Daniel Singh and Sen. Cale Case suggested that the issues exposed require state-level action. Singh highlighted broader problems related to electricity rates, environmental quality, and water that stem from state statutes. Case criticized Wyoming's tax breaks and incentives for large companies, viewing it as "modern colonialism" and advocating for tax changes to better benefit Wyoming citizens, extending the discussion to include data privacy laws.