As a Weld County Commissioner, I’ve been listening closely to the conversation around AI data centers, and I understand why people have questions. When folks hear terms like artificial intelligence, hyperscale computing, water demand, and electric load, it can sound like something dropped in from another planet. That usually creates two bad responses. One side says these projects are all danger and no benefit. The other side talks like every concern is irrational and every project is automatically a win.
Neither approach is good enough for Weld County.
My job is not to sell fear, and it is not to sell somebody else’s development pitch. My job is to deal in facts, write smart code, and protect the people who already live here.
The first fact is this: data centers are not a passing fad. They are becoming part of the backbone of the modern economy. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reported that U.S. data center electricity use rose from about 76 terawatt-hours in 2018 to about 176 terawatt-hours in 2023, reflecting the very real growth in cloud computing and AI infrastructure. In other words, this sector is growing fast, and communities across the country are being asked to decide how, where, and under what conditions that growth should happen. (LBL ETA Publications)
That does not mean local government should roll over and wave every proposal through. It means local government needs to do its job.
Here in Weld County, we are in the process of adding code language that will address data centers. As we write that code, our responsibility is simple: protect community members from adverse impacts and make sure any facility that comes here has adequate water and power to operate without harming the people around it. That is not anti-business. That is just competent government.
There is a lot of talk about economic value, and some of it is fair. Brookings notes that data centers can generate meaningful local tax revenue and increased business activity, but it also warns that the benefits are highly variable depending on the project, the public policy structure, and the terms negotiated by the local community. That matters. It means the right question is not whether data centers are always good or always bad. The right question is whether the terms make sense for Weld County. (Brookings)
Water is one of the biggest concerns I hear, and frankly, it should be. Around here, water is not an abstract issue. It is a real one. The good news is that not all cooling systems are the same. The EPA states that chilled-water systems are completely closed loops and consume no water when operating properly with no leaks. Your local, neighborhood Starbucks consumes more water in a month than does a closed-loop data center in a year.That is a very different setup from evaporative cooling systems, which can require ongoing water use. (EPA)
That distinction matters enough that Weld County should make it explicit. We will not allow evaporative-cooled plants. Only closed-loop plants should be on the table. If a company wants to build here, it needs to design a facility that respects our water reality from day one.
Power is the other big question, and people are right to ask it. NERC, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, has identified data centers and other emerging large loads as a serious planning issue for the bulk power system, calling for updated processes, standards, and reliability planning. Its reliability assessments also point to fast-rising demand growth tied in part to data centers and other large new loads. That tells me the conversation about power cannot be treated like a formality. These facilities must have adequate power to operate without negatively affecting existing homes, farms, and businesses. (NERC)
That is where local code matters. Weld County should not assume the grid will just work itself out. We should require real answers up front. If the infrastructure is not there, or if the burden falls back on surrounding ratepayers and residents, then the proposal is not ready.
There is also the quality-of-life side of this discussion. Noise, visual impact, and compatibility with surrounding land uses are all legitimate concerns. Brookings specifically points to the need for communities to protect their own interests as they negotiate the local implications of these projects. That is exactly the right mindset. We do not owe anyone a blank check just because a project is large or the technology is fashionable. (Brookings)
So this is where I land.
Weld County should govern this issue with facts instead of fear, but also with facts instead of spin. AI data centers may become part of our future. If they do, they need to fit Weld County, not force Weld County to fit them.
The goal here is not to panic. The goal is to be prudent.
And as Weld County writes its code, that is exactly what we will be.
Weld County will host two Town Halls to discuss the Data Center code and hear from our citizens. The first Town Hall meeting is Monday, March 23, 2026, in the Events Center at the Weld County Administration Building, 1150 O Street in Greeley. The Town Hall will be from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The second Town Hall will be on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in the Large Conference Room of the Weld County Southwest Service Center Complex, 4209 County Road 24 1/2 in Longmont (Firestone) from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
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