DENVER — An artificial intelligence (AI) data center is being built in the Illyria-Swansea neighborhood, but some area residents are wondering about the impact it will have on their water and electricity bills and the environment.
CoreSite, the project’s developer, said the campus, which includes two other buildings in Denver, could use up to 75 megawatts of power. For comparison, Denver International Airport uses about 45 megawatts of electricity.
The 180,000-square-foot building, currently under construction, is located in an area known for being historically underserved.
“This may not be the most valuable use of resources,” said Mikey Savage, a Denver resident. “I think those are environmental issues.”
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Savage is currently in school and writing a paper on the resources used to power data centers.
“They certainly require a tremendous amount of energy,” Savage said. “It also consumes a lot of water to cool the data center.”
A spokesperson for Denver Community and Planning and Development said the site plan was approved in March of this year. CoreSite leaders said the site would bring more jobs to the area and generate more than $200 million in tax revenue for the city over 20 years.
It’s the long-term effects that people like Derek McCoy are concerned about.
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“I don’t know if there’s transparency or awareness within the community about, ‘How is this going to impact our utility bills? How is this going to impact the already poor air quality and water quality in these areas?'” McCoy said.
McCoy is the executive director of Groundworks Denver. He said because AI and its uses are so new, there are few regulations for such centers.
“Is there some kind of side income based on this revenue to help the community?” McCoy said. “How do we work with government to ensure that the needs of the community are met in this process? Maybe the community didn’t have a choice, but are there ways to mitigate the harm to the community?”
CoreSite leaders said our digital world and everyday needs such as emergency services cannot function without data centers.
Their goal is to have a modern site available in 2026.
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