Global AI Wins Colorado Data Center Permit Amid Power, Water Disputes

Global AI won approval for a data center in Weld County, Colorado, which is reportedly set to be the largest data center facility in the state despite residents’ opposition and questions over electricity access.

Local news outlet Greeley Tribune reported on Thursday that the Wednesday decision advances the New York-based company’s project at the former Carestream Health industrial site between Windsor and Greeley. Commissioners said the application satisfied county rules adopted earlier this year, even as some questioned the developer’s record of complying with construction restrictions.

The board approved the roughly 41-acre project in a 5-0 vote, according to Denver7. The decision came a day after Greeley’s city council approved a preliminary agreement aimed at annexing the property, a step tied to its long-term water supply.

Electricity access emerged as a point of contention at the county hearing. Representatives of neighboring businesses raised concerns about whether disputes involving utility Poudre Valley REA and arrangements between property owners could affect delivery of power, the Tribune reported.

Commissioners Kevin Ross and Jason Maxey questioned how Global AI could meet county requirements without secure electricity access. David Foster, an attorney representing the company, said Global AI had obtained a will-serve letter from Poudre Valley REA, satisfying the county’s requirement.

The approval also followed county findings of construction violations. Inspectors identified four activities outside the scope of earlier permits, which allowed building repairs, according to the Tribune. Global AI agreed to remedy the work and halt construction rather than contest the violations.

Foster argued that the county had changed its rules after permits had been submitted and some issued. He said the company’s decision to amend its application and undergo the new review demonstrated good faith.

Commissioners made closed-loop cooling a requirement following public discussion. The system is expected to need an initial fill of 650,000 gallons and annual replenishment of 6,500 gallons, the Tribune reported. Those figures describe the cooling system rather than total facility water demand.

Water service remains linked to competing annexation plans. Both Greeley and Windsor supplied letters offering water on the condition that the property join their respective municipal boundaries, according to the newspaper.

Greeley’s agreement sets a path toward annexation by the end of March 2028. That depends on the city successfully annexing Great Western Industrial Park, a separate action Windsor has challenged through a request for reconsideration.

Commissioners also sought a bond to cover decommissioning costs, although the precise language had not been finalized. Discussions focused on restoring the building to its current condition while retaining improvements useful to a future tenant.

The decision comes under a regulatory framework Weld County adopted in April. It requires evidence of water availability and an electricity provider’s commitment to serve a project, imposes noise limits and prohibits data centers on agricultural land.

Global AI’s ambitions extend beyond the immediate application. A company representative said in February that it intended to expand to as much as one gigawatt of power, Colorado Public Radio reported. That remains a stated expansion goal, rather than capacity established by the permit decision.