KEY POINTS
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Weld County approved Global AI’s USR26-0019 permit on a 5-0 vote for a proposed 41-acre data center near Windsor that could become Colorado’s largest. CPR News
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Conditions require closed-loop, air-cooled cooling; ambient noise limits and monitoring; and a decommissioning plan and bond within six months. Weld County.
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Global AI must still obtain applicable building, electrical, mechanical, fire and life-safety, utility, environmental and other permits before construction associated with the approved use can proceed.
Weld County commissioners have unanimously approved a permit for Global AI to operate a data center in an existing industrial facility near Windsor, clearing a major land-use hurdle for a project that could become the largest data center in Colorado.
The 5-0 vote followed an approximately eight-hour hearing on Sept. 9.
The approval authorizes the data-center use covered by USR26-0019 under the county’s Use by Special Review process. The county said the decision does not authorize development of the entire former Kodak/Carestream property, future phases or additional infrastructure.
Global AI must still obtain applicable building, electrical, mechanical, fire and life-safety, utility, environmental and other permits before construction associated with the approved use can proceed, according to Weld County’s announcement.
Former Industrial Campus to be Repurposed
Global AI’s proposal would reuse a vacant industrial facility for data-center operations.
The facility is planned for 41 acres within Global AI’s 438-acre property, the former Carestream Health campus that was previously operated by Eastman Kodak in unincorporated Weld County. Colorado Public Radio News reported that the company acquired the property last year.
The company has estimated that the broader project could create about 1,500 construction jobs and 200 long-term jobs, according to KUNC.
Separately, Weld County said the currently proposed first phase is expected to employ approximately 20 people.
Permit Conditions Target Cooling, Noise and Future Decommissioning
Commissioners attached several conditions to the approval, including:
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Use a closed-loop cooling system.
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Keep noise at or below established ambient levels around the site.
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Continuously monitor noise from the facility.
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Submit a decommissioning plan and secure a bond within six months.
The proposed closed-loop cooling system is expected to substantially reduce ongoing water demand compared with evaporative cooling. KUNC reported that the system is expected to require an initial fill of approximately 65,000 gallons and annual top-offs of about 6,500 gallons.
Global AI’s application anticipates 27.5 megawatts for the first phase. Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association presented a will-serve letter indicating it was prepared to deliver 35 megawatts, according to Colorado Newsline’s account of the hearing.
One megawatt (MW) equals 1 million watts and can generally power about 800 to 1,000 homes, while one gigawatt (GW) equals 1 billion watts, or roughly enough electricity to supply 800,000 to 1 million homes.
Permitting and County Requirements Remain
The approval moves the project into the remaining permitting and compliance process. Before construction associated with the approved data-center use can proceed, Global AI must secure the required permits and satisfy applicable county requirements. Also, future phases or significant changes would require additional review, according to Weld County.
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