Cheyenne City Council To Consider 12-Month Data Center Moratorium

The Cheyenne City Council is slated to introduce an ordinance on first reading tonight for a 12-month moratorium on new data centers in Cheyenne.

The measure will be introduced tonight, but no public comment will be taken until later in the process.

The ordinance is sponsored by Ward III councilman Mark Moody. The proposal would have to go through three readings before the full council before becoming law. The next step in the process would be a referral to the council's Public Service Committee.

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You can read the proposed ordinance here.

Moratorium To Allow Time For Study, Possible Code Revisions

In the words of the proposed ordinance "A moratorium will allow City staff the time necessary to study the impacts of data centers and develop recommendations for the Governing Body regarding potential revisions to the applicable ordinances, codes and regulations pertaining to data centers."

It's important to note that the moratorium would not affect any existing data centers or those that are already under construction. But it would halt the start of construction on new centers as well as permits for new data centers.

Data centers are not new to Cheyenne. Microsoft opened one in 2012, and until recently the facilities didn't seem to generate much notice or opposition. But by some counts proposed new centers could bring the total to near 70 if they all were actually built.

That includes plans by Microsoft for a 3,200 expansion project.

Wyoming's cool climate and relatively cheap electricity make the state attractive to companies wanting to build the facilities. But opponents of the facilities are raising concerns about water and electricity consumption, among other issues.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in the Municipal Building at 2101 O'Neil in Cheyenne.