The Broomfield City Council unanimously passed an 18-month moratorium, or temporary ban, on new data centers.
The moratorium saw approval in the council’s Tuesday night meeting and bars any new data centers from being built in Broomfield for 18 months, or until regulations are adopted into the city’s code, according to a council memo.
“Concerns associated with data centers include demands on electrical power, water supply, telecommunications networks, and transportation systems, as well as potential effects on surrounding land uses, natural resources, public services, and community character,” the memo says.
For the purpose of the moratorium, the memo says, a data center facility is defined as “a facility with projected load requirements of at least ten megawatts and one or more buildings, including corresponding electrical infrastructure, that: (a) houses information technology equipment used for data processing, data storage, or telecommunications; and (b) has a primary function of delivering information technology services.”
The largest data center in Broomfield is the JPMorgan Chase facility on the north side of the city, with a functional capacity of about 20 megawatts, according to City and County Attorney Nancy Rodgers in the meeting.
The moratorium will allow time for the city to complete a “comprehensive review” of the issue and put regulations in place, according to the memo.
