Brighton

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and City Council members have appointed 26 people to a new Data Center Working Group, chosen from more than 250 applicants. The group, which includes residents, union members, academics, environmental advocates, and representatives from Xcel Energy, Denver Water, and the data center industry, holds its first meeting Friday and will spend several months developing policy recommendations. City leaders say the current development moratorium could be extended if more time is needed. Johnston said the city, not corporations, will decide if and how data centers operate in Denver.

The move follows other communities acting on their own after state-level frameworks stalled. In Colorado, Brighton and Colorado Springs have set local rules, and some Denver council members have floated an outright ban on large "hyperscale" facilities. In Missouri, Wentzville's Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on large-scale data center construction and expansion, following a similar county-wide pause enacted by St. Charles County in July. Officials in both states cite concerns over electricity demand, water use, infrastructure strain, and quality-of-life impacts as they study whether permanent regulations are needed.