Sept. 9, 2026, Weld County Board of Commissioners Global AI hearing (video 2 of 3)

The Weld County Board of Commissioners held a public hearing on September 9, 2026, regarding the special use review permit application (USR26-000019) for the Global AI data center project. The meeting focused heavily on procurement-related issues such as utility service commitments, infrastructure capacity, and compliance with county development standards. Numerous community members expressed concerns about the project's water and power usage, noise pollution, environmental impact, and incomplete application details, urging the board to deny or pause approval until these issues were fully addressed. Legal disputes over water service infrastructure and annexation complications were also raised. The applicant and their legal counsel responded by affirming compliance with county requirements, willingness to accept conditions including a closed-loop water cooling system, ongoing noise monitoring, and a decommissioning plan secured by a bond. The board discussed potential conditions of approval and development standards, including noise limits aligned with oil and gas regulations and continuous noise monitoring. The applicant agreed to abide by these conditions. The hearing concluded with plans for the board to deliberate further after a brief recess.