Northern Colorado county considers data center regulations, requests community feedback

Some residents in Northern Colorado are encouraged to share their feedback with officials as they consider possible regulations for future data centers.

Officials said the Draft Land Use Code will set clear, enforceable boundaries on future centers in unincorporated Larimer County. On Tuesday, the county said the draft is not available for review and public comment.

"The draft proposes a cap on power use, prohibits evaporative cooling, and keeps hyperscale data facilities out of unincorporated Larimer County. Supported by staff analysis and research, the draft responds to community feedback about water use, power demand, air quality, and other issues," the county said.

Larimer County already has a moratorium on new data centers in place until Feb. 2027. The county says it began working to develop specific regulations in January in anticipation of any future data center applications. To date, Larimer County has not received any data center applications.

This comes as multiple other areas of Colorado consider whether or not to implement moratoriums on new data center applications.

Regulations from Larimer County are available here, and the community can submit comments and feedback through the Larimer County Engage Portal.