Mesa County commissioners are set to consider a temporary moratorium on new data center developments in unincorporated properties at their upcoming meeting. The Mesa County Board of Commissioners plans to address the proposed halt on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 9 a.m. The meeting will take place at the board's usual location, 544 Rood Ave. in Grand Junction.
The proposed resolution aims to pause new data center projects for up to a year, giving county staff time to integrate new standards for the rapidly expanding computing industry into local zoning laws. As of Friday afternoon, meeting materials included a draft resolution that would block land use applications, hearings, approvals, and other bureaucratic steps required for data center development. The resolution would also prevent the local government from negotiating county inducements for these buildings for 12 months. Commissioners would have the option to end the moratorium early or extend it through another resolution.
According to the draft resolution, "Data center development pressure has increased markedly throughout Colorado and the Intermountain West." The board's rationale for a temporary pause is to preserve the current situation and allow the county to complete its Land Development Code rewrite, along with any necessary supplemental standards, without the immediate pressure of pending applications.
The draft resolution includes a directive for the county’s legal and community development staff. This staff would be tasked with developing and presenting Land Development Code provisions specifically governing Data Center Facilities for the Board’s consideration. These new rules would cover the buildings’ review process, water and electrical demands, noise standards, and several other relevant criteria.
The preamble of the resolution also notes recent discussions among area city officials about a similar measure. It states that "members of the Grand Junction City Council have expressed an interest in aligning city and county standards so that a facility sited near the municipal boundary does not escape regulation by either jurisdiction." Grand Junction municipal staff are also working on their own ordinance that would prohibit data center development for up to a year within city limits.
Public opinion in Colorado and nationally suggests significant opposition to data center construction. A poll conducted by Magellan Strategies and published on Sept. 13 found that 82% of Colorado voters opposed data centers in their own cities or towns. A slightly smaller majority, 75%, indicated opposition to data center construction anywhere in the state. Respondents cited concerns primarily related to water conservation and electricity rates, along with potential heat, noise, and light emitted by the facilities.
This trend is not unique to Colorado. A Gallup poll published in May revealed that 70% of Americans opposed the construction of data centers in their local areas. Approximately half of those respondents cited resource-related concerns, specifically mentioning water and electricity demand.
