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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
Wyoming’s Data Center Growth Test
Coverage from Cowboy State Daily, Cap City News, and others
Wyoming is weighing rapid data center development against limits on water, electricity, local services, tax revenue, and public oversight.
Cheyenne has 10 operating facilities, five under construction, and nine announced or planned, while projects linked to Prometheus Hyperscale, Microsoft, and other developers are prompting new reviews of zoning, power supply, cooling systems, and community obligations. Governor Mark Gordon’s statewide framework seeks to coordinate growth and protect ratepayers and natural resources, but lawmakers and local officials have not settled tax treatment, dedicated-generation rules, or the extent of public review.
Looking Back
119 Day Timeline
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History
09/08/2026
The story now includes a quantified tax-revenue shortfall and more concrete local disputes over moratoriums, fast-track approvals, and community oversight. Cheyenne’s project inventory is also presented differently, revising the reported operating-facility count while separating construction and planned projects.
09/04/2026
The story now has clearer implementation and baseline data: Wyoming is moving toward making large-load developers pay incremental power costs while confronting quantified water growth and possible tax increases.
All Articles35 articles
Important
Wyoming Select Water Committee members discussed water sourcing, closed-loop cooling, and water-right permitting for expanding Cheyenne-area data centers.
5/8/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Laramie County commissioners approved Project Latigo zoning near Cheyenne, Wyoming, advancing Vantage Data Centers' proposed 1,835-acre campus on Tuesday.
9/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials and utility staff held a resident Q and A on Saturday to address data center siting, water use, permitting, and utility planning.
6/7/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Wyoming officials, businesses and residents are contesting rapid data-center expansion and related tax, infrastructure and land-use policies across Cheyenne, Evanston, Casper and Platte County.
9/3/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Senator Cynthia Lummis and Wyoming regulators address interconnection and upgrade needs for Project Jade's projected 2.7 to 10 gigawatts starting in Cheyenne.
6/18/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Wyoming lawmakers and Cheyenne officials reviewed testimony on data-center water impacts after planned capacity expansions raised projected acre-feet increases.
5/19/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Wyoming Select Water Committee members met in Cheyenne to assess data-center water use, focusing on closed-loop cooling efficiency, replenishment risk, and power-demand tradeoffs.
5/11/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Cheyenne, Wyoming data center campus phase-1 approaches completion with closed-loop direct-to-chip cooling, backup power, and substation expansion ahead of late-2026 delivery.
6/14/2026 • Water & Cooling • General
Interesting
Greater Cheyenne Chamber panelists from Black Hills Energy, Microsoft, Meta, and Related Digital discussed data-center power, workforce, and modernization issues in Cheyenne, Wyoming, this week.
8/16/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
A Wyoming opinion writer urges residents and local governments to scrutinize expanding data center projects because business park siting may limit cumulative-impact review and public participation.
8/10/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Wyoming guidance advises residents to monitor county permitting, Wyoming DEQ air quality and water-related permits, and NEPA federal comment routes for data center projects.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Wyoming Public Service Commission voted 2-1 against Anschutz’s Carbon County request to treat customer-dedicated generation as non-utility while non-utility-generator rules are still under development.
7/23/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Black Hills Energy, Microsoft, Meta, and Related Digital discussed data-center power tariffs, backup generation, workforce effects, and facility modernization during a Cheyenne chamber panel.
8/14/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Vantage Data Centers held a Cheyenne, Wyoming community meeting to address Laramie County data center concerns about water, noise, and on-site power plans.
6/28/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cheyenne, Wyoming officials held public panels and a Related Digital construction tour in east Cheyenne to address data center siting, water use, power services, and community impacts.
6/14/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Evanston recommended approval of Prometheus Hyperscale’s 1.25-gigawatt data center conditional use permit on May 27, 2026 while Cheyenne residents seek a 12-month moratorium over water and power impacts.
5/30/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
In Cheyenne, Evanston, and Casper, Wyoming, residents and officials debate proposed hyperscale data center projects amid concerns over drought-stressed water and electricity needs.
5/23/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cheyenne residents and Wyoming officials debate impact funds and mitigation for large data center projects amid concerns about water use, noise, and infrastructure impacts.
6/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Wyoming's Revenue Committee in Casper postponed a data center property-tax reclassification bill while lawmakers reviewed facility definitions and exemption reporting requirements.
9/3/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Wyoming Public Service Commission voted 2-1 against Anschutzs declaratory judgment for customer-dedicated data-center generation in Carbon County, while non-utility generator rules are pending.
7/24/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Wyoming regulators scheduled an Aug. 5 hearing on non-utility generator rules after a 2-1 denial involving Anschutz generation plans for data centers.
7/24/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Wyoming legislators weigh a draft bill to exempt qualifying generators from public utility rules to serve industrial and data-center demand, drawing utility opposition over ratepayer costs.
6/5/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Gov. Mark Gordon signed a Wyoming executive order creating a statewide framework for data center growth, including power cost protections and water conservation guidance, after local moratorium and industrial-park disputes.
6/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Mark Gordon issued Wyoming Executive Order 2026-03 on data center growth on protecting ratepayers and water supplies, with Cheyenne local concerns tied to Microsoft and Meta development.
6/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Yukon, Oklahoma residents launched a recall effort against Mayor Brian Pillmore over Beltline Energy's proposed $1 billion data center requiring permits and a water use agreement.
7/1/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Cheyenne, Wyoming considered Iron Guard Housing's temporary workforce complex for up to 5,600 data-center construction workers in 2024, after resident protests and planning commission reconsideration.
6/9/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Wyoming lawmakers in Cheyenne delayed a data center tax classification bill and pursued stronger exemption reporting after reviewing impacts on state revenue and facility competitiveness.
9/3/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a data center development framework on June 3, 2025, as Mountain West communities weigh moratoriums and water-related conditions.
6/4/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Additional
Wyoming HB0067 sales tax exemptions are discussed in relation to data-center investments in critical hardware, power supply, backup generation, and specialized HVAC.
7/25/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General
Vantage Data Centers hosted a Cheyenne open house for a proposed Laramie County 480-megawatt campus, with permitting expected to start late 2026 amid local noise and water concerns.
7/2/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
WEDA supported Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon’s 2026-03 executive order in Wyoming to guide responsible data center siting with water and grid stewardship.
6/12/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a June 3 executive order directing state agencies to propose policy changes for new data centers within 60 days amid local moratoriums.
6/3/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Blockmate Ventures Inc. plans Wyoming AI data center development near a substation with up to 200MW potential power capacity.
5/30/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • General
Wyoming officials assess incoming data centers in 2026, weighing electricity, water, land use, housing, and sales-tax incentives.
7/6/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Wyoming maintains a sales tax exemption for large data center equipment after a 2021 repeal attempt by Rep. Clark Stith was killed in committee.
6/12/2026 • Project Finance & Incentives • General