Weld County commissioners this week unanimously approved a permit for Global AI to build a data center on the site of a former Kodak industrial campus that once employed 3,000 workers. The 5-0 vote by the Board of County Commissioners reflects the county's effort to craft regulations that welcome data center development while other Colorado jurisdictions impose moratoriums. The project could bring between $2 billion and $20 billion in total investment depending on how large it ultimately grows.
The data center is expected to draw 27.5 megawatts of electricity during its first phase, according to the Independence Institute report, with Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association issuing a commitment letter for 35 MW of power. Future expansion could reach as much as 1 gigawatt, though that scale would require additional transmission infrastructure and power generation. Water use will remain minimal thanks to a closed-loop cooling system that continuously recycles water—the initial fill requires roughly 65,000 gallons, equivalent to about 5.2 months of a single household's consumption, with annual refills of approximately 6,500 gallons, or about two weeks of typical household use. All wastewater will be processed at an on-site treatment facility. The site sits on unincorporated county land, though both Windsor and Greeley have expressed interest in annexing it, with Greeley approving a pre-annexation agreement on September 8 that allows 18 months for negotiations.
County Commissioner Jason Maxey stated that "the appropriate place for this type of development is in industrial zoned land," and the Global AI location meets that standard. The Use by Special Review permit includes requirements for continuous noise monitoring, closed-loop cooling systems, and a decommissioning plan backed by a bond. The site originally opened as a Kodak campus in the late 1960s, reaching peak employment of 3,000 people in the 1970s and 1980s before its successor company, Carestream, shut down operations in 2024. Global AI must still obtain all necessary construction permits and approvals before work can begin.
Weld County's approach mirrors its handling of oil and gas development after state lawmakers granted local governments siting authority through SB 19-181 in 2019. While most jurisdictions used that power to slow oil and gas projects, Weld County created the first local oil and gas department to process permits and enforce conditions. Similarly, as other Colorado communities responded to data center proposals with moratoriums, Weld moved quickly to establish review standards. The report characterizes this as "responsible development"—setting clear criteria that allow companies to understand requirements upfront rather than face indefinite delays.
Global AI now faces the tougher task of securing construction permits and reaching an annexation deal with either Windsor or Greeley. But those negotiations will proceed against Weld's defined standards rather than open-ended restrictions, giving the company a clear path forward where other developers have hit walls.