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  "description": "A coalition of 54 Colorado organizations is urging state lawmakers to adopt guardrails on large data centers, warning of rising electric bills, water strain, and long-term tax impacts if Big Tech expansion continues without stronger consumer and environmental protections.",
  "path": "/54-colorado-organizations-urge-lawmakers-to-hold-big-tech-accountable-for-data-center-impacts/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-17T01:22:38.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.westernslopetrellis.com",
  "tags": [
    "350 Colorado",
    "Ark Valley Energy Future",
    "Be The Change – Colorado",
    "Black Parents United Foundation",
    "Colorado Coalition for Livable Climate",
    "Centennial State Prosperity",
    "Clean Air Pueblo",
    "Clean Energy Action",
    "Colorado Center on Law and Policy",
    "Colorado Common Cause",
    "Colorado Fiscal Institute",
    "Colorado Jewish Climate Action",
    "Earthjustice",
    "Western Colorado Alliance"
  ],
  "textContent": "A coalition of 54 organizations from across Colorado has sent a formal letter to Governor Jared Polis and members of the Colorado General Assembly, urging state leaders to adopt stronger guardrails around large-scale data center development.\n\nThe letter raises concerns about rising electricity rates, water scarcity, climate impacts, and long-term tax policy decisions as artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure expand rapidly across the state. Supporters argue that without clear consumer and environmental protections in place, Colorado families and small businesses could bear the cost of rapid industry growth.\n\nBelow is the full text of the letter submitted to state leaders.\n\n* * *\n\n### A Letter From Colorado Organizations: Please Hold Big Tech Accountable to Do Its Fair Share\n\nDear Governor Polis and the Colorado General Assembly,\n\nWe, the undersigned 54 organizations representing Coloradans all over the state, write to you today urging you to take action to protect Colorado from the harmful impacts of Big Tech’s unchecked data center development.\n\nNew, large data centers present a number of risks for Colorado including the construction of new power plants and transmission lines that increase the electricity rates paid by all Coloradans; construction of new gas-fired power plants; use of diesel generators; delayed closures of coal plants that increase air pollution and put Colorado at risk of failing to meet its climate goals; use of large amounts of water in our already water-constrained state; and other adverse impacts on communities near these massive new facilities. Without proper protections, Coloradans could end up subsidizing Big Tech’s data center operations while breathing dirtier air and depleting critical water resources.\n\nData centers are extremely energy and water-intensive and Colorado lacks the policy guardrails needed to make sure that Coloradans aren’t saddled with the cost of their explosive new energy demands. Colorado’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, estimates that new data centers could lead to more than a 30 percent increase in the utility’s peak power demand by 2035. The new QTS data center being built in Aurora will be Xcel’s largest single customer, requiring energy equivalent to powering approximately 80,000 households. With energy bills and other household expenses at an all-time high, it is imperative that data center companies pay their way to use Colorado’s infrastructure. After all, many of the companies building data centers, such as Google and Microsoft, are some of the richest companies in the world.\n\nThe reality is that data centers are coming to Colorado and several are already here. With the proliferation of AI, the rate of large facility development is accelerating and is very different now than it was just two years ago. The legislature must act now to ensure that Big Tech pays its fair share and avoids harming Coloradans.\n\nIn 2026, we ask that you do everything in your power to pass common-sense policies that do the following:\n\n  1. Protect Coloradans’ energy bills from high costs associated with data center growth;\n  2. Ensure Colorado’s air and water is safe from increased data center pollution and use;\n  3. Require data center projects to be a part of achieving Colorado’s climate goals, not a detriment;\n  4. Promote transparency into data center projects and community impacts;\n  5. Require data centers be built and maintained to high labor standards, including prevailing wage, community benefits, safety, and using project labor agreements;\n  6. Avoid disproportionately bending Colorado’s tax code to benefit data center companies at a time when massive budget cuts are being made to healthcare and K-12 education.\n\n\n\nState leaders face a choice in 2026: take action to ensure Big Tech does no harm in Colorado, or let Big Tech companies get away with raising our electricity bills and harming our environment. We urge you to pass state policies protecting Coloradans from the various risks associated with unchecked data center development.\n\nSincerely,\n\n350 Colorado\nArk Valley Energy Future\nBe The Change – Colorado\nBlack Parents United Foundation\nColorado Coalition for Livable Climate\nCentennial State Prosperity\nClean Air Pueblo\nClean Energy Action\nColorado Center on Law and Policy\nColorado Common Cause\nColorado Fiscal Institute\nColorado Jewish Climate Action\nColorado Renewable Energy Society\nConservation Colorado\nCultivando\nEarthjustice\nEarthworks\nEbony Advocates\nFoCo Trash Mob\nGood Business Colorado Association\nGreat Old Broads for Wilderness\nGreen House Connection Center\nGreenLatinos\nGRID Alternatives\nGroundwork Denver\nHarvest of All First Nations\nHealthy Air & Water Colorado\nHispanic Affairs Project\nIndependiente\nLarimer Alliance for Health, Safety, and the Environment\nMi Familia Vota\nMoms Clean Air Force Colorado\nMountain Mamas\nPhysicians for Social Responsibility – Colorado\nProgressNow Colorado\nRecovery Cafe\nRocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center\nRoots to Resilience\nSan Juan Citizens Alliance\nSan Luis Valley Ecosystem Council\nScience Health and Access to Resources and Education\nSignal Tech Coalition\nSierra Club Colorado\nSolar United Neighbors\nSouthwest Energy Efficiency Project\nThe Bell Policy Center\nThird Act – Colorado\nTogether Colorado\nUnite North Metro Denver\nVote Solar\nWestern Clean Energy Campaign\nWestern Colorado Alliance\nWestern Resource Advocates\nWomxn From The Mountain",
  "title": "54 Colorado Organizations Urge Lawmakers to Hold Big Tech Accountable for Data Center Impacts",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-17T01:22:38.000Z"
}