Final vote looms for contested data center project in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs City Council will on vote on an appeal of the controversial data center project in Colorado Springs, as residents near the proposed site hope to stop the project from happening.

The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, capping a contentious battle between residents and Raeden, the company behind the project.

Back in May, Raeden co-founder and president Jason Green could barely get a word out in a town hall with residents, as they shouted at him throughout the meeting.

Residents have consistently raised concerns about the noise from the data center, along with worries about energy and water usage, and a potential hike in utility bills. Green has highlighted the economic benefits of the data center, including the creation of jobs.

Raeden has already said it will build a 30-foot sound wall to help reduce noise. The data center would also use a closed loop cooling system to help with water usage..

Still, the data center is expected to use a lot of power; roughly 50 Megawatts, which could power about a quarter of Colorado Springs homes.

Last month, the city released its standards for data center development designed to address the concerns of residents.

Both sides have the right to file another appeal in district court if tomorrow's ruling doesn't go their way.

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