LONGMONT, Colo. – Longmont is considering a ban on hyperscale data centers, data facilities that consume 100 megawatts or more of electricity at peak capacity.

City Council Member Matthew Popkin proposed the ban in April.

“Data centers are on the rise across the country, including in the Front Range of Colorado, and are increasingly raising community concerns,” Popkin said.

City staff are bringing a proposed ordinance to council Tuesday night, though a final decision is not expect until June 9 at the earliest.

Popkin said hyperscale facilities pose risks that go beyond energy consumption.

“I think it is critical that we not just see the positives there and make sure that we’re prepared for the risks, especially in a region that’s facing greater challenges every day, from fire risk to drought and to water consumption as well,” Popkin said.

To understand the scale of what 100 megawatts represents, Darrell Hahn, the city’s Electric Utilities Director, offered some context.

“100 megawatts is about half our peak load on a hot summer day,” Hahn said. “Depending on whether you're looking at single family residences or multifamily residences… that could be anywhere from say 10,000 to 30,000 units, homes, apartments."

Popkin said community members have already been weighing in on the proposal.

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“I’ve heard feedback directly from community members asking how we’re thinking about this, asking us not to approve any hyper scale data center facilities,” Popkin said.

If the ordinance does not pass, Hahn said the city already has existing safeguards that would apply to any large-scale development.

“Does it meet noise ordinances? Does it have an excessive use of water? Can we meet the power needs? If the answer to any of those is no, then that’s just a project that wouldn’t go forward,” Hahn said.

Should a data center ultimately be approved, Hahn said the company would be responsible for funding the infrastructure needed to support it.

“One of the basic tenets here in the city is that development generally pays for its own way,” Hahn said.

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