Logan County weighs massive data center as public concerns grow

Wheat fields and grazing land northwest of Sterling could become the center of one of Colorado’s largest industrial land-use fights, with a proposed hyperscale data center drawing concern over power demand, water use, noise, light and the future of nearby farms.

County leaders and economic development officials have discussed a project roughly 20 miles northwest of Sterling that could require up to 2 gigawatts of electrical capacity, a scale they say would be unusually large for Colorado. Local reporting has put the potential capital investment at about $15 billion, with as many as 1,000 construction jobs during buildout and roughly 50 to 100 permanent jobs once the facility is operating.

The developer has been identified in reporting as New York-based Granite Renewables, but public details about the company and the deal remain limited. Logan County officials say no company has formally submitted an application yet, but the prospect is already reshaping the conversation for nearby landowners who worry about what a project of that size would mean for occupied homes, irrigation, transmission access and the county’s rural character.

The pressure has spilled into the county’s zoning process. Logan County imposed a six-month moratorium in October 2025 on permits tied to data centers, battery energy storage, wind and solar projects while officials rewrote local rules. Public hearings on the draft regulations drew standing-room-only crowds on January 6, 2026, and commissioners pushed final votes to January 20 to allow more public input.

By February 13, the county’s Planning & Zoning document center had posted a draft Data Center Facility regulation package that lays out application, site-planning, utility, environmental and decommissioning requirements. The county commission agenda for February 17 included a public hearing on Resolution 2026-5, which would amend the zoning resolution to create permit rules for data center facilities, alongside related measures for battery storage and solar energy.

Residents have been blunt about what they fear losing. At a February meeting, they raised concerns about farmland loss, rural heritage, noise and setbacks from occupied homes. Jacob Thiessen said a developer had approached his family about selling or leasing land for a possible facility.

The debate has also exposed a split inside the county’s economic pitch. LandGate said Logan County commissioners had already signaled support in a July 8, 2025 letter, citing more than 1 gigawatt of renewable generation, existing natural gas capacity and access to transmission lines and pipelines. Now the same assets that could attract a data center are forcing residents to ask whether a power-hungry industrial campus belongs in ranch country at all.