The Grand Junction City Council voted 6-0 on Wednesday night, October 21, to approve an ordinance that places a temporary halt on the development and pre-development of large data centers within city limits for up to one year. City Council Member Robert Ballard was absent from the vote. The moratorium is intended to provide municipal officials with time to address these types of buildings within local planning and development codes, considering their potential strain on local resources.
This decision aligns with action taken by Mesa County, which passed a resolution with the same effect on September 29. Neighboring Fruita also appears to be moving in a similar direction, holding a first reading for its own moratorium ordinance at a council meeting on October 20. Building regulators across these local governments emphasize that a temporary block will allow them to develop specific requirements for data centers, which can have a considerable impact on local water and energy resources, and can generate significant light and noise pollution.
Grand Junction interim Community Development Director Thomas Lloyd noted that many Colorado communities are pursuing similar measures. He explained that these facilities "can have considerable electrical and cooling demands along with water, noise and infrastructure impacts," necessitating the development of standards to appropriately address these considerations. The new ordinance is expected to take effect approximately 30 days after its enactment once formalized in municipal code books. City officials confirmed that no development applications for such facilities were pending before the vote.
Grand Junction's temporary ban specifically applies to data centers with a projected, designed, or requested electrical load of one megawatt or more. It does not affect smaller additions within existing businesses, such as new IT rooms or computer servers.
Local governments are collaborating to ensure their planning and zoning regulations for this increasingly visible type of information technology infrastructure include similar requirements. Lloyd stated that the city manager’s office was already in communication with officials in Mesa County and Fruita to coordinate efforts.
The moratorium received support from residents who spoke at a public hearing on the matter. Several individuals called on the city to consider an indefinite prohibition on data centers. Stephanie Hall, a resident, voiced concerns about water usage, noting, “Data centers are a disastrous drain on this very important resource… we don’t have any water to spare.”
Broader public opinion polls reflect these local sentiments. A Magellan Strategies poll published on September 13 found that 82% of Colorado voters opposed data centers in their own cities or towns, with 75% opposing them anywhere in the state. Surveyed voters cited concerns about water conservation, electricity rates, and heat, noise, and light emissions. A May Gallup poll similarly found 70% of Americans opposed data center construction in their areas, with about half citing resource-related demands.
Despite calls for a permanent ban, Grand Junction City Council Member Anna Stout indicated that an indefinite moratorium is unlikely. Ahead of the vote, Stout stated, "We’re being as responsible as we can to prevent any unintentional consequences," suggesting the city's approach is intentional rather than anti-data center.
While larger local governments prepare their regulations, smaller municipalities in Mesa County have reacted at different paces. Collbran Mayor Jenni Adams reported that the town, with fewer than 400 residents, had not taken formal action but that "most (if not all) of us have voiced that we are opposed to data centers in our area." Palisade Town Manager Janet Hawkinson believes her community’s small geographic footprint and current zoning would likely prevent such construction, especially while the county’s prohibition remains in effect. She added, "So, it is not a concern for us. We are concerned with the greater Mesa County area that surrounds the town."
