A Recap of the Data Center Meeting with Raeden

On May 14th Raeden held a meeting with the community. To listen to the full meeting, see our previous post. But here’s a quick recap of what we learned and what concerns there are around the project.

Raeden Presented to the Public and Hosted a Q+A

Jason Green presented a slideshow of information about the proposed data center. This included details about water usage, economic impact, noise, utility power impact, and more.
Shortly after, there was a Q&A hosted by Jason and moderated by former mayor John Suthers.
There was not time for all participants to ask questions. Some attendees had their hands up the entire session and were not called on.

One Million Gallons Per Day is Permitted For Use at the Site

Raeden has reported that they do not plan to use this much water, but instead plan to use 200,000 gallons only once.

Why hasn’t Raeden relinquished their right to use this much water? What happens if Raeden decides to use more water than they’ve initially promised to use? Nothing legally prevents Raeden from using up to 1 million gallons of water per day.

Raeden Could be a Candidate for a Special Utility Contract.

Raeden highlighted that they would be subject to a large load tariff, where they would pay a higher rate for the electricity that they use.

Raeden would still be able to get an Economic Development Special Contract. This would allow Raeden to enter a deal with Colorado Springs Utilities that would decrease the impact of the large load tariff, or supersede it entirely.

Both Raeden and Colorado Springs Utilities stated they will not be pursuing a special contract, but nothing is disqualifying Raeden from pursuing one at a later date.

No Data on the Possible Heat Island Effect

The heat island effect is when an area has a higher temperature than its surroundings. There has been an observed increase of heat island effect surrounding data centers due to waste heat.

Jason Green reported that Raeden did no heat island effect studies and they would not know impacts until they know which chips are going into the data center. It’s more likely than not that the selection of chips and equipment wouldn’t be decided until after the AI data center is approved.

Previous Complaints About the Site went Unheard

From 2018 to 2020, the location of the proposed data center was the home of a bitmoin mining facility. At the community meeting, multiple residents cited that during the facility’s tenure, there was minimal response from the city when they complained about noise. The facility shut down eventually after the company filed for bankruptcy.

Given how things were handled last time, residents are concerned that the City of Colorado Springs City won’t have the appropriate response if the community were to have issues with Raeden.

We Need More From Colorado Springs.

More Restrictions and Regulations.

More Investigation into harmful impacts.

More response to residents’ concerns.

Below, see our Instagram reels recapping the meeting:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by No Data Center Colorado Springs (@no_data_center_cos)