Comment template for GlobalAI Data Center in Weld. USR26-0019
Hi- some community members have worked on this template together. Please feel free to use as you see fit- but get something in! Cut and paste, add, edit, sign, share, submit!!! By May 26! askthecommissioners@weld.gov
“Dear Members of the Weld County Board of County Commissioners and Planning Commission,
I am writing as a Weld County resident and stakeholder to submit formal public comments regarding Case Number: USR26-0019, the Use by Special Review (USR) application for the data center development at the former Kodak/Carestream campus. Because a USR triggers explicit public interest, compatibility, and infrastructure sufficiency criteria under Chapter 23 of the Weld County Code, I urge the Board to apply the highest level of scrutiny to this application.
While Ordinance 2026-01 recently established a structural framework for data centers in unincorporated Weld County, a project of this scale must not be granted a special review permit unless the applicant conclusively proves it will protect local resources, shield existing residents from infrastructure build-out costs, and align with long-term regional stability.
Ensuring protection of local resources requires rigorous scrutiny of all water‑use requests — especially as Colorado continues to face persistent drought conditions and growing pressure on municipal and agricultural supplies. Additionally, any onsite power generation must meet strict pollution and noise standards to prevent additional burdens on nearby residents. Given these realities, Weld County must require applicants to provide verifiable, enforceable, and transparent evidence that their operations will not worsen air quality, exceed established noise thresholds, or shift infrastructure costs onto the community. This level of proof is essential to ensure long‑term protection of public health and local resources.
I request that the county strictly audit the applicant's compliance with the following operational mandates before making any determination:
- Ratepayer Cost Protections and Infrastructure Build-Out Subsidies
A primary concern for Weld County residents is the financial risk associated with the massive infrastructure upgrades required to hook a multi-tenant AI data center into the regional grid.
• The Risk: The build-out of high-capacity transmission lines, dedicated substations, and local distribution upgrades represents a monumental capital expense. Historically, these massive grid expansion costs can be shifted onto standard residential and small business ratepayers, inflating monthly utility bills for citizens who derive no benefit from the facility.
• Request: The county must ensure that the applicant bears 100% of the financial burden for all necessary transmission, substation, and interconnection upgrades. I request that the county condition any USR approval on explicit proof of a long-term contractual commitment
(such as a Large Load Tariff framework) ensuring that Weld County citizens are completely insulated from subsidizing this commercial build-out.
- Electrical Grid Satiation, Generation Shortfalls, and the Push for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
Ordinance 2026-01 explicitly notes that data center designations carry no limitation on peak electrical loads. The unprecedented power demands of liquid-cooled AI clusters pose a severe threat to regional energy stability, forcing a critical question: Where exactly will this new, massive baseload generation come from?
• The Concern: Our regional utility provider, Poudre Valley REA, is already facing a projected multi-hundred-megawatt power gap during peak summer months, forcing a temporary reliance on fossil-fuel extensions. Introducing USR26-0019 to the grid without a dedicated, isolated generation strategy risks triggering widespread local substation strain and rolling voltage instability.
• The Long-Term Generation Reality: To satisfy the 24/7, zero-carbon uptime requirements of modern AI systems without crippling the public grid, standard renewables paired with battery storage are mathematically insufficient. This massive demand raises the distinct specter of needing advanced, localized baseload power—specifically Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
• Onsite Power Generation Guardrails: Before any onsite power generation is contemplated, the full range of negative externalities and adverse impacts to surrounding properties must be thoroughly analyzed. Weld County is part of the eight‑county Denver Metro/North Front Range serious ozone nonattainment area, where additional emissions — even from backup or auxiliary systems — can worsen public‑health risks. Regardless of the proposed technology, whether gas‑fired generators, microturbines, or emerging systems such as small modular nuclear reactors, all pollution, noise, safety, and operational impacts must be fully mitigated to ensure no additional burden on nearby residents or sensitive uses.
• Request: The county must rigorously review the mandatory "Will Serve" utility letter and require the applicant to declare their exact long-term power generation source. If the ultimate build-out of this tech corridor implicitly depends on pioneering advanced nuclear technology or SMR integration locally or regionally, a comprehensive, transparent feasibility and safety study must be mandated and presented to the public before a USR permit is issued.
- Cumulative and Peak Water Demands for Operations and Energy Generation (C.R.S. 29-20-301)
Given the semi-arid environment of Weld County, the water demands of a multi-tenant data center corridor—even one utilizing closed-loop designs—remain a critical concern under Colorado Revised Statutes. A facility's consumption must be evaluated transparently under worst-case scenario conditions rather than annualized averages.
• The Peak Operation and Generation Compound Risk: The county must clearly understand what water usage at peak operations will look like, particularly during consecutive high-heat summer days when cooling systems run at maximum capacity. Crucially, this audit cannot look at the data center in isolation; it must also account for the heavy water footprint that any new dedicated power generation—such as the cooling and steam loops required by potential SMR integrations—might add to our regional supply.
• Request: The county must require full public transparency regarding the applicant’s combined water service agreements and engineering plans. The applicant must provide a clear accounting of the total combined water consumption required for both facility cooling
and localized energy generation under peak summer thermal loads to prove it will not deplete local water tables or stress the agricultural water baselines essential to our farming economy.
- Enforceable Compliance with Low-Frequency Noise Limits (65 dBC)
The continuous, 24/7 operation of industrial HVAC systems and cooling blocks produces a persistent low-frequency hum. The county code strictly mandates that data center operations must not exceed 65 dB(C) at any point along the property line.
• Request: Prior to layout approval or permit issuance, the county must require a comprehensive, third-party Noise Mitigation Plan. A clear, enforceable protocol must be established so that if the facility violates the 65 dB(C) boundary limit post-construction, immediate code enforcement actions and operational halts can be executed.
Thank you for your rigorous oversight, your dedication to protecting Weld County's natural resources, and your commitment to maintaining the integrity of our zoning laws. I request that these comments be formally entered into the official public record for USR26-0019.
Sincerely,
[Your Signature] [Your Printed Name]