Arvada City Council Study Session: August 11, 2026

The City of Arvada held a study session on August 11, 2026, focused on the topic of Data Centers and the potential implementation of a moratorium. City staff presented an overview of Data Center types, their distribution in Colorado, and the challenges related to water usage, energy consumption, and infrastructure strain. The discussion centered on whether to impose an 18-month moratorium on new Data Center proposals, particularly targeting larger Regional Colocation and Hyperscale Data Centers, to allow time for comprehensive planning, infrastructure analysis, and updates to the Land Development Code. Council members debated the scope and impact of such a moratorium, emphasizing the need to exclude smaller facilities like cell towers and government-related Data Centers to avoid unintended consequences. The moratorium would provide staff time to research water and energy capacity and develop appropriate regulations, including potential size caps and environmental considerations. The session concluded with consensus on moving forward with an 18-month moratorium focused on primary Data Center uses, with further refinement of definitions and size limits to be developed.