Denver approves one-year pause on new data centers
The Denver City Council has unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new data centers, proposed by Mayor Mike Johnston. This pause allows officials time to develop comprehensive regulations for data centers, addressing community concerns about noise, air quality, environmental impact, and resource consumption. The move follows the state legislature abandoning plans for environmental regulations on data centers.
The Denver City Council has unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center construction within the city. The ban, proposed by Mayor Mike Johnston in February, aims to provide city officials with time to establish comprehensive permitting requirements and regulations for data centers, which currently have limited oversight in Denver.
Council members Paul Kashmann and Darrell Watson co-sponsored the measure, which calls for the creation of working groups to study various impacts, including noise, air quality, construction, zoning, building codes, and energy consumption. Community members voiced strong support during a public comment period, highlighting environmental and health risks, as well as the strain data centers place on neighborhoods. Advocacy groups like the GES Coalition, representing the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods, emphasized the urgency of developing binding protections during the moratorium period.
The council’s decision comes after the Colorado State Legislature abandoned efforts to implement statewide environmental regulations for data centers. While some council members expressed regret for not acting sooner and even suggested a future outright ban, assistant city attorney Adam Hernandez noted potential legal challenges in halting ongoing projects like the CoreSite data center due to existing approvals and construction levels. The moratorium’s potential extension beyond one year remains an option.