Monument places moratorium on data centers
The Monument town council in Colorado has enacted a six-month moratorium on new data center applications. This proactive measure aims to give the town time to develop regulations and update its land development code concerning data centers. The decision follows similar actions by other Colorado communities and is driven by concerns over energy consumption.
The Monument Town Council in Colorado has unanimously voted to implement a six-month moratorium on new data center applications. Planning director Dan Ungerleider stated the ban is a "proactive" step to allow the town to consider future regulations for data centers and integrate them into its land development code, which is scheduled for an update.
This move makes Monument the first municipality in El Paso County to approve such a moratorium, joining a growing list of Colorado communities, including Woodland Park, Denver, Broomfield, Larimer County, Jefferson County, and Boulder County, which have all adopted similar pauses on data center development this year. The decision comes amidst a broader trend of increasing energy consumption by data centers, projected to double from 2025 to 2027 due to the rise of artificial intelligence, according to Goldman Sachs.
Monument Councilman Steve King expressed skepticism regarding the potential benefits of future data centers for the town, citing concerns about negative impacts if development proceeds poorly. The six-month period will enable the town to craft specific rules and guidelines before considering any new data center projects.