Colfax County commissioners ask staff to study local rules for data centers amid water and power concerns

Commissioners in Colfax County on Wednesday asked county staff and the county attorney to review potential local permitting and regulatory options for data centers after several members voiced concern about water consumption, power demand and health effects.

At the meeting Chairman Tatum said the county should research protections, raising environmental and public-health questions linked to large data operations and their infrastructure needs. "These data centers are, in my opinion, out of control," Tatum said, urging a careful local review of impacts on water supplies and power costs.

A commissioner asked the county attorney to draft possible ordinance language or a resolution that would require local government approval for data-center proposals. The county attorney said he would examine what permitting and approval authority the county might exercise and would follow up. "Normally, when a data center is proposed, part of the financing involves IRBs, industrial revenue bonds, and that would require commission approval," the county attorney said, noting the commission would have an opportunity to review that step.

County legal staff also noted that some air and environmental permits are state-level functions but that the county can consider bonding, permitting or other local conditions related to water use and infrastructure. Commissioners said they were not taking an immediate regulatory vote but wanted a legal and policy review so the commission could consider measures that protect local resources while allowing appropriate economic activity.

The county attorney said he would report back with potential permitting approaches and legal constraints. The commission did not take any formal regulatory action at the meeting and asked staff to provide follow-up analysis at a future meeting.