Larimer County has proposed regulations that would ban hyperscale data centers outright and require any smaller facilities to meet specific standards around renewable energy, noise, and air quality.

Draft Rules Would Cap Power Use and Bar the Largest Facilities

Under the draft rules, data centers would be allowed only in the county's two industrial zone districts, and power use would be capped at 30 megawatts, ruling out the gigantic data centers that have been proposed or are underway in places like Utah and Wyoming.

The proposed land use code changes require any data center to use 80% renewable power sources and ban evaporative cooling systems, which turn water into vapor to cool server rooms. Instead, data centers could use a closed-loop system or an "equally efficient system," according to the draft.

What Developers Would Have to Submit

Developers of a data center would have to submit an air quality mitigation plan showing how they would address any negative effects on air quality. They would also have to submit noise studies and comply with county noise limits, with requirements also considering things like odors, visibility and vibrations. As part of their submittal, developers would have to provide information about power availability, water supply, wastewater management plans and more.

Any proposal would go through a special review process for data centers to evaluate impacts on public health, safety, welfare, the environment, historic places or publicly conserved lands.

The draft defines data centers as one or more buildings designed or primarily used for the storage, management, processing and/or transmission of digital data, housing computer or network equipment, systems, servers, appliances and other components related to data storage and operations.

A small data center is defined as one using 1 to 10 megawatts of power at peak demand, while a large data center uses between 10 and 30 megawatts. Anything above that is considered hyperscale.

No Current Proposals, Strong Public Opposition

There are currently no formal data center proposals for Larimer County because a six-month moratorium is in effect so the county's land use code could be updated to regulate them. In a county survey earlier this year, 94% of respondents said they did not want any data center to be allowed.

County staff proposed allowing smaller-scale data centers because they could provide critical services related to emergency dispatch, electrical grids, cellular networks, internet infrastructure, law enforcement networks and telehealth, according to information provided by county staff.

Where Data Centers Would be Allowed

The rules would apply only to proposed projects in unincorporated Larimer County. Cities and towns within the county will enforce their own regulations for data centers, if they have them, and Fort Collins, Loveland, and Berthoud are all working to create regulations.

The only two zone districts where data centers would be allowed are Industrial Heavy and Industrial Light. A zoning map shows these zones are located on the borders of the city limits of Fort Collins and Loveland, and some of them border residential zones.

Near Fort Collins, this includes parcels northwest of Trilby Road and Taft Hill Road, where the county's south landfill is now, as well as parcels near the former Downtown Airport north of Mulberry Street and along Vine Drive. Near Loveland, it includes multiple parcels scattered throughout the southern half of the city, just outside city limits.

Data centers would also have to be at least 1,000 feet away from residential buildings or lots, schools, medical facilities, senior living facilities, daycare centers, trails, parks, conserved lands and any place designated as a disproportionately impacted community.

If a developer wanted to propose a data center outside those zones, they would have to pursue a rezoning first, which requires the support of both the county planning commission and county commissioners and must align with the county's comprehensive plan. According to county staff, this process can take a year or more.

Utility Requirements Still Apply

Larimer County is not a power provider, but a data center will have to meet the requirements stipulated by any utility that agrees to supply power. For example, Platte River Power Authority has a policy for large-load customers so they pay their own way; under PRPA, a large-load customer is one that uses 10 megawatts or more.

What's Next and How to Give Feedback

The public can weigh in on the proposed rules between now and Nov. 24, and a revised draft will be published by Dec. 9. After that, the Larimer County Planning Commission will consider the changes on Dec. 16, and the Larimer County commissioners will vote on whether to approve them during a Jan. 11 land use hearing.

Residents can get more information about the draft rules and provide feedback on the county website. The proposal comes as large data center construction continues elsewhere in the country, including a USD 1 billion, 520-acre facility underway in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, being built for Meta, the trillion-dollar company that owns Facebook and Instagram.

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