Angry Colorado business owners sue to block GlobalAI data center
Two Northern Colorado business groups, GWIP Land Company and Windsor Renewal, sued Weld County and GlobalAI this week over the county's approval of a 52,200-square-foot data center near Windsor despite what the lawsuit calls fundamental unmet requirements. The complaint says GlobalAI never secured a reliable power supply, only a temporary water arrangement, and failed noise mitigation standards, all while local utility Poudre Valley REA would only commit to supplying power through 2030 and at less than the project's required wattage.
The county amended its own building code in January, ahead of GlobalAI's proposal, to allow data centers into light industrial zones via special review, conditioned on noise caps and utility guarantee letters GlobalAI apparently didn't fully deliver. A March noise study reportedly showed the facility's chillers already hitting the 65-decibel cap, with residents worried actual levels near the property line could reach 85 decibels even behind a sound wall.
The business groups also allege the county let GlobalAI break the project into smaller pieces to dodge a public referral process, while the company touted 200 promised jobs even as the full buildout would reportedly draw power equivalent to 200,000 homes. The county's own oil and gas director reportedly suggested GlobalAI generate its first-phase power on site, given the utility's inability to guarantee enough supply.
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