AI data center and power plant proposed on NREL land near Boulder
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A private data center and power plant could be built on federal land near Boulder, as the U.S. government eyes metro Denver in a national push to supercharge AI infrastructure.
Why it matters: The once-coastal tech boom is moving inland. And Colorado — already home to dozens of data centers — could be key to the country's AI ambitions.
Driving the news: The Biden-era plan, now being carried forward by the Trump administration, would place AI-focused data centers at 16 federal sites — including on National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) land near Boulder.
- The Department of Energy is seeking input from private developers and the public, with the goal of bringing facilities online by the end of 2027.
What they're saying: "Private data center companies, that's where the capital is, that's where the investment is," Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former Denver energy company executive, said at a press conference last week at NREL, per the Colorado Sun.
- "We want to win this AI race — or at least stay in the lead," he said.
The big picture: The world's densest concentration of data centers is in Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley."
- Just five states — California, Texas, Florida, New York and Georgia — employ 40% of all U.S. data center workers, U.S. Census Bureau figures show.
Zoom in: At least 39 data centers are presently operating in the Denver metro area.
- Four are owned by Lumen Technologies; 35 by other companies.