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Laramie County approves zone change for 1,375‑acre Switchgrass industrial park to allow data centers and a 1.8 GW power plant
Summary
The board approved a Planned Unit Development zone change requested by Tallgrass and Crusoe that paves the way for multi‑building data centers and a behind‑the‑meter 1.8‑gigawatt power plant; supporters touted jobs and strategic value while some residents raised water, traffic and character concerns.
Laramie County commissioners on Oct. 6 approved a zone‑map amendment to convert roughly 1,375.32 acres west of U.S. Highway 85 into a Planned Unit Development to accommodate the Switchgrass Industrial Park, a Tallgrass‑ and Crusoe‑backed proposal for large‑scale data center and energy infrastructure.
Scott Prestige, public affairs at Tallgrass, told the board the project includes a “1.8 gigawatt power plant to support data center investment,” and said the company is conducting an economic impact study that it expects to share within a month. Adam Marsano, senior project manager at Tallgrass, said the sites are located about eight miles south of Cheyenne and that primary access would be off Hay Highway (U.S. 85).
Vincent Whisker, director of commercial development at Crusoe Energy, described the private partners’ commitment as a multibillion‑dollar, multiphase investment and said the campus could yield thousands of construction jobs and hundreds to thousands of permanent positions once fully operational. “We have strong Rocky Mountain roots and connections with legacy industries like oil and gas,” Whisker said.
Supporters framed the proposal as an economic diversification opportunity for Wyoming. Betty McKay, president of the Wyoming Business Alliance, urged the board to back the zone change, saying the project would add value to the state’s natural‑gas resource and lift broader business prospects.
Residents who spoke at the public hearing expressed concerns about local impacts. Thomas White, a county resident, said he values living in a rural area and worried about increased traffic and cultural change; another speaker, retired military official Tucker Fagan, praised the project’s national‑security and economic implications.
Staff told commissioners that the site is currently zoned LU (land use) and that planning had found the application met the county’s land‑use criteria. Planning staff and the county emphasized that the zone change approval is an initial land‑use determination; project details such as site plans, traffic studies, noise mitigation and water use will be addressed in subsequent site‑plan and permitting phases.
Commissioners voted to approve the zone change with no conditions at this stage. Several commissioners noted they expect more detailed information and regulatory review during the site‑plan process before any buildings are permitted or construction begins.
Next steps: the applicants will proceed to the site‑plan phase and required permitting, and county staff will review traffic, water, drainage and other technical studies as part of that process.
