Cheyenne City Council Candidate: No More Data Centers

A candidate for the Cheyenne City Council says a moratorium on new data centers in the city isn't enough.

Michael Reyes says if he's elected, he will vote to oppose any more data centers in Cheyenne for the time being.

Reyes made the comments in an interview for the "Weekend in Wyoming" program that will air this Saturday at 12:05 p.m. on am 650 KGAB radio.

The Cheyenne City Council recently voted against a 12-month moratorium on new data centers to allow time to study the impact of the facilities. Councilman Mark Moody had sponsored that proposal, which was defeated on an 8-1 vote.

Reyes said of data centers "Right now I'm reading a lot of negatives about data centers, and I don't think it's a good time to go in that direction."

He went on to say "The resources that we have are not sustainable for the data centers. And I think that's just going to increase the cost across the board for our citizens. Meaning utilities, water, all of the things we need for our own survival, our own homes."

When asked if he favored a moratorium  or outright ban on new data centers, Reyes said ''Right now I would probably say no more data centers." He says residents are already facing increasing utility costs. ''They're charging our citizens more and more and more every year."

He added "I just feel like we are going to continue to add and add and add and break the citizen's backs overcharging for things."

Reyes is one of nine candidates vying for the open Ward I council seat. The top two finishers in the August 18th primary election will move on to the November 3 General Election.

In Wyoming, city council races are non-partisan, meaning candidates don't formally affiliate with a political party.

Cheyenne LEADS: Data Centers Don't Raise Power Bills

Supporters of data centers dispute those views. Cheyenne LEADS, in a recent release, wrote the following:

Cheyenne LEADS also reminds the public that modern data centers are designed to operate efficiently and sustainably. Many facilities use little to no water for cooling, and operators continue to invest in technologies that reduce both water and energy consumption. Data centers help diversify the local economy, expand the tax base, support high-quality jobs, and strengthen the infrastructure needed to support Wyoming's growing digital economy."

LEADS also has published information contradicting claims the centers drive up electric rates.

In a ''Data Center Fact Sheet." Leads wrote

"Data centers do not increase power bills for residents 1.Data centers build their own power infrastructure 2.They pay for all improvements. 3. Data centers help utilities maintain consistent revenue streams & improve grid reliability and efficiency, 4. “Wyoming produces far more energy than it consumes, using only about 40%, creating ample capacity to support new data center development.”