Wyoming Council Hosts Forums on Data Center Rules
The Wyoming Outdoor Council is holding public forums to gather input on future data center regulations across the state.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Data Centers
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Do you support the construction of large-scale data centers in your local community?
The Wyoming Outdoor Council is hosting seven community forums across Wyoming to solicit public feedback on data center development and its potential impacts. This input will help the organization draft model legislation focused on environmental and health protections for the upcoming state legislative session.
Why it matters
As interest in hyperscale data center development grows, the organization aims to ensure that new projects include legally binding community benefit agreements. These agreements provide a mechanism for residents to address concerns regarding energy usage, cooling system chemical impacts, and potential effects on local wildlife.
Data centers require significant energy and cooling systems that utilize specific chemicals. The forums explore how these technical requirements, which impact local resources, can be mitigated through community benefit agreements.
The players
Wyoming Outdoor Council
This organization advocates for the protection of Wyoming's environment and natural resources through policy and community engagement.
Cheyenne City Council
This municipal governing body is responsible for local legislative decisions, including land-use policies and development regulations.
The details
During these sessions, the Wyoming Outdoor Council presents information on the risks and benefits associated with large-scale data center infrastructure. The forums follow a failed effort in May 2026, where the Cheyenne City Council rejected a proposed one-year development moratorium by an 8 to 1 vote.
Timeline
The Cheyenne City Council voted 8 to 1 against a one-year data center moratorium in May 2026.
A community forum regarding data center regulations took place in Gillette in late October 2026.
The final community forum is scheduled to be held in Lander in early December 2026.
The Tech Race
This effort follows a pattern set by community benefit agreements as a tool for local mitigation of large-scale infrastructure projects. By seeking standardized regulations, the council aims to shift how Wyoming manages the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure compared to past reactive zoning efforts.
Residents can use these forums to provide input that could influence future local regulations and binding agreements with developers. This engagement directly affects how communities manage the potential trade-offs between local utility costs and infrastructure development.
The takeaway
Engaging in local forums provides citizens with a formal mechanism to influence the regulatory environment surrounding large industrial projects. Residents are encouraged to review upcoming meeting schedules to ensure their perspective on land use is represented in future legislation.
What happens next
The Wyoming Outdoor Council is scheduled to hold its final community forum in Lander in early December 2026.
Further reading
For more information on the industry's footprint, see our Data Centers section.
Live Poll
Do you support the construction of large-scale data centers in your local community?
