Mesa County, Colorado, halts new data center applications for one year over water concerns

Mesa County, Colorado, has approved a one-year moratorium on new data center applications, pausing any additional proposals while county officials examine how such projects would affect local water supplies.

County officials said the pause will allow time to evaluate water availability, sewer capacity, road impacts, and potential land use rules before any future projects move forward. Officials said the decision followed questions about whether existing infrastructure could support large scale data facilities.

Data centers require significant amounts of electricity and water, particularly for cooling systems that keep servers running at safe temperatures. In a region where drought and river levels remain ongoing concerns, residents and local leaders questioned whether those demands could be met.

Mesa County is located on Colorado's Western Slope and includes Grand Junction. The area draws water from the Colorado River system, which has faced long term declines tied to drought and regional allocation limits.

Under the moratorium, the county will not accept new applications for data center development for one year. Existing proposals submitted before the vote are expected to continue through the review process, though officials did not publicly identify how many projects are currently in the pipeline.

County leaders said the pause is intended to prevent approvals before rules are clear. They plan to use the year to draft standards that would govern future data center proposals, including requirements tied to water use, drainage, noise, and emergency access.

Western states are seeing increased interest in data centers while local governments assess how much water and infrastructure those projects will require.

Mesa County commissioners are expected to revisit the issue before the moratorium expires in late 2027.