Are Data Centers Good For Wyoming?

One of the hottest local issues in Wyoming right now is data centers.

The latest example of just how big an an issue it has become in Cheyenne could be seen on Monday night, when the Cheyenne City Council got an earful about a proposal to annex and rezone about 1,200 acres of land on the Cox Ranch for a data center.

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Members of the public blasted the proposal as a land grab and a violation of state law. Commenters raised issues about water consumption, perhaps the biggest single sticking point for main opponents of the facility.

Water Consumption Is A Big Issue

Former Cheyenne Mayoral candidate Rick Coppinger is a leading opponent of data centers in Laramie County. He told Townsquare Media in April that he questions claims the facilities don't use as much water as people think:

''I understand that they say that a lot of these data centers are using sealed systems for cooling or as well as using glycol systems for cooling or other agents. I think you’ll find that even though they’re using sealed water systems you’ll find that they are still going through an about 1,000,000 gallons a year per gigabyte hour.''

But Betsey Hale of Cheyenne Leads says the water consumption concerns are overblown. She cites a 2024 Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities report that showed data centers consumed only 1.2 percent of the city water supply. ''Golf courses use more water than data centers" in Cheyenne according to Hale.

What About Electricity?

Rep. Daniel Singh [R-Laramie County] told Townsquare Media a few weeks ago that one of the legislative committees he co-chairs will be looking at requiring data centers to supply their own electricity.

Hale says in Laramie County, Black Hills Energy has devised a large load tariff program so that work on the infrastructure to meet the greater electric demand will be paid for by the centers, not rate payers. Hale also says the increased demand for electricity will be good news for those employed in Wyoming's energy sector.

LEADS, in a Facebook post, said ""Data centers do not increase power bills for residents 1.Data centers build all their own power infrastructure 2.They pay for all improvements and upgrades 3. Data centers help utilities maintain consistent revenue streams & improve grid reliability and efficiency - benefiting everyone.

But Coppinger, in his April interview, said of the electricity issue ''when the federal government and the state government have to intervene to tell us that the people will not have to pay higher electric bills because of these #DATA centers forces me to be very concerned. Will the government actually be able to do anything to protect the community from those higher bills. I’ve seen what’s happened after other large companies have come in and things were promised never happened and nothing was ever done about it.''

So far all of the concerns, what are the upsides to data centers? According to the LEADS Facebook post Data centers provide high-paying, long-term jobs Data centers don’t just bring construction work - they also create stable, high-wage, technical and management positions - paying well above Wyoming’s median wage

And Hale says the construction phase will also offer a big boost to the local economy, benefitting everyone from heavy equipment operators to electricians.

So what do you think? Take our poll and give use your opinion!