Temporary Moratorium on Data Center Facilities

Data Centers are facilities that house servers, storage, and networking equipment to process, store, and transmit digital information for users and other systems. Currently, the Larimer County Land Use Code does not contain any definitions or regulations about data center uses in unincorporated Larimer County. 

To effectively evaluate any future proposed data center uses, the County is researching best practices, reviewing applicable existing and proposed State and Federal legislation, and is drafting appropriate Land Use Code definitions and standards to ensure that any future development is compatible with the County’s infrastructure and resource goals.

Background

On January 27, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a resolution establishing a temporary moratorium on the acceptance and processing of land use applications for new Data Center Facilities within unincorporated Larimer County.

Following a public hearing on February 9, 2026, the Board of County Commissioners voted to extend the temporary moratorium on data center facilities until August 25, 2026. This pause will allow staff adequate time to develop land use regulations that address the specific impacts of these facilities.

Why is this necessary?

The Larimer County Land Use Code regulates development by establishing zoning districts, permitted land uses, and other standards to implement the Comprehensive Plan in unincorporated Larimer County. County zoning only applies outside of incorporated cities and towns. No site-specific data center applications have been submitted at this time.

Data centers—often referred to as digital infrastructure or high-intensity computing facilities—can have significant impacts on local infrastructure and resources. Specifically, the County is reviewing:

• Water Consumption: The high cooling demands of industrial-scale computing.
• Power Usage: The significant electrical load required to operate these facilities.
• Possible Nuisances related to noise, aesthetics, heat effects, and others.
• Suitable zoning that would determine where data centers would be located.

This temporary moratorium allows the Community Development Department to research best practices and draft appropriate Land Use Code definitions and standards to ensure that any future development is compatible with the County’s infrastructure and resource goals.

Links

• Resolution to Establish a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers in Larimer County, Colorado (6 months)
• Resolution to Establish a Temporary Moratorium on Data Centers in Larimer County, Colorado (30 days)
• February 9, 2026 Staff Report Extending the Moratorium
• Current Land Use Code (does not contain draft definitions or standards)

What does this mean for potential applicants?

During the moratorium period, Larimer County will not accept new land use applications for facilities that fit the description of large-scale digital data processing, networking equipment, or industrial-scale computing.

Comments or questions?

If you have any comments or questions, please visit https://engage.larimer.gov/datacenter, send an email to datacenter@publicinput.com, or leave a voicemail at 855-925-2801, project code: 6408