Colorado
Colorado's 2026 data-center surface is defined by a Front Range wave of city/county moratoria (Denver, Jefferson, Boulder, Larimer counties plus a Longmont hyperscale ban) after both competing state bills — an incentives bill (HB26-1030) and a ratepayer 'guardrails' bill (SB26-102) — died in the final days of the legislative session (Kiowa County Press, Baxtel).
ILens Signals
Civic/Governance Barriers activates on moratorium-class action (C1), meaningful 2026 race (C3) — governance instruments on the electoral, legislative, and regulatory surface (protocol §10; Overview Civic breakout). Energy/Power and Water/Geology are the dominant stressors (grid strain, wildfire/Wildland Urban Interface, and Denver-area air/water concerns drove the moratoria) (Baxtel). Capital Flows is a real secondary stressor: the failed HB26-1030 would have granted a ~$760M/20-year tax exemption, and the failed SB26-102 plus the ongoing Xcel large-load tariff proceeding are explicitly about preventing cost-shifts to ratepayers — a live cost-allocation/stranded-incentive question (High Country Advocate, Arvada Chamber).
IIKey 2026 Races
2026 Governor (open seat; Polis term-limited): Democrat Phil Weiser (primary winner over Michael Bennet) makes responsible data-center growth an explicit campaign climate/energy plank — public reporting of large-load tariffs/contracts and water/energy use, upfront deposits and direct cost recovery to protect ratepayers from stranded-asset risk, and requirements that data centers sponsor new clean energy (including geothermal/clean power at retiring coal sites) (Phil Weiser for Colorado — Climate and Resilience, KUNC primary). Federal secondary: Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08) co-introduced legislation requiring data centers to pay their own grid-connection costs (CBS Colorado). Local government action (Denver/Jefferson/Longmont moratoria) remains the dominant surface read alongside the November gubernatorial contest.
IIIMoratorium · Ban Status
Multiple consequential local moratoria in force. Denver City Council unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on new data-center development on May 18, 2026, effective May 21, exempting the under-construction CoreSite DE3 but blocking two planned additional buildings (Broadband Breakfast, Spencer Fane). Jefferson County commissioners voted May 19, 2026 to halt new zoning/development approvals (roughly a 10-month pause) (Baxtel, Colorado Sun). Boulder County enacted a six-month moratorium effective June 2, 2026 (Boulder County, OK Energy Today). Larimer County's moratorium runs through Aug. 25, 2026 (Spencer Fane). Longmont imposed a 100 MW ceiling effectively banning new hyperscale projects (The Cool Down).
IVRatepayer · Cost-Shift Legislation
SB26-102 ('Large-Load Data Centers'), the ratepayer/'guardrails' bill sponsored by Sen. Priola/backers incl. Western Resource Advocates (setbacks, water, renewable-energy requirements), was postponed indefinitely by the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee on the session's final day; the competing incentives bill HB26-1030 (a 20-year, ~100% sales/use tax exemption) was postponed indefinitely 11-2 by the House Energy & Environment Committee — neither passed (,, Arvada Chamber). The Xcel large-load tariff proceeding at the PUC remains the live ratepayer mechanism (Energy Policy Updates video).
VBallot Measures
None identified. Colorado's tracked Nov. 2026 statewide measures center on a TABOR/K-12 spending-cap question, not data centers (High Country Advocate); I found no state or local data-center ballot measure.
VITop Contested Sites
CoreSite DE3 (three-phase campus, Globeville-Elyria-Swansea, north Denver): under construction and exempt from the Denver moratorium, but community opposition to it directly triggered the citywide pause (Colorado Sun, CBS Colorado). Project Taurus (Raeden, ~50 MW AI data center on the former Intel fab near Garden of the Gods Rd., Colorado Springs) received administrative development-plan approval June 11, 2026 with no appeals filed by the June 22 deadline (Baxtel).
VIITalent · Workforce
Not a leading stressor in Colorado's 2026 surface; the failed HB26-1030 included labor/jobs framing but no distinct construction-labor organizing or jobs-delivered dispute rose to prominence.
VIIIData Center Cluster Size
Growing Front Range cluster centered on metro Denver (CoreSite DE3 Globeville campus) and Colorado Springs (Project Taurus), with at least five city/county jurisdictions moving to pause or cap projects in spring 2026 (Baxtel).
IXKey Quote
"It's critical for us to evaluate how data centers will interact with the Wildland Urban Interface, our water supply, the environment and our community's overall health. This moratorium is a necessary pause for us to gather that information." — Jefferson County Commissioner Rachel Zenzinger (Baxtel).