Senior Construction Manager

Commissioners approve zone change for Vantage Data Center south of Cheyenne. CHEYENNE - Data center development is continuing to boom across Laramie County as local governing bodies approve zone changes, permit requests, site plans and more. The most recent is the approval of a zone change request for the proposed Vantage data center south of Cheyenne. The Laramie County Board of County Commissioners approved the zone change at a meeting Tuesday for land 12 miles south of the capital city planned to hold developer Vantage Data Center's Project Latigo. Vantage officials requested the land be rezoned from Land Use (LU) to Planned Unit Development (PUD). If the approval process continues to progress, the 480-megawatt data center would be built on an 1,835-acre site along Terry Ranch Road. Laramie County Planning and Development Director Jason Arnold said the zone change will establish a framework for the development of a data center campus and supporting infrastructure, such as mechanical cooling plants, onsite power generation and more. The change also includes an onsite workforce accommodation component to house workers during the construction phase. "The subject property is currently assessed as agricultural," Arnold said. "The surrounding area consists of a mixture of range land and commercial uses. The PUD district is intended for industrial uses requiring buffering, secure operations and associated accessory uses that cannot readily fit into general commercial or mixed use districts." Vantage Senior Government Affairs Manager Matt Clark said the company was founded in 2010, and is headquartered in Denver. He said Vantage currently operates data centers in the U.S. and worldwide. "We deliver our data centers in a proven flexible manner that meets many customer needs," Clark said. "We serve many of the world's leading technology partners and leaders. And we, most of all, are committed to be a long-term partner in any community in which we build, making sure that we engage with the community in a way that limits the impact and brings the maximum return on investment." Clark said he anticipates the data center will bring up to 2,000 jobs to the local community with an investment of up to $20 billion when it's completed. Tim Denenberg, Vantage's market development director, said Vantage intends to use Wyoming natural gas in order to keep investment in the state, as well as a closed-loop cooling system to cut down on water use. Water will be drawn from onsite wells. In Vantage's permit application, the company states that for every 100 gallons of water used, 110 will be restored. "So, essentially, Vantage plans to invest in projects that will restore water into the existing aquifers, things such as flood plain and wetland restoration that essentially allow water that's not currently being restored to get restored," Denenberg said. "... Other examples might be helping invest in agriculture improvements, irrigation ways to make those more efficient." Denenberg said he hopes to begin construction next year, and said that it will continue into 2030. "This is really one of the first steps for us on the entitlements and the permitting for the project," Denenberg said. "And with that, again, really looking forward to continuing the dialogue with the community. We want to be transparent with our plans, and open about how this can be beneficial and how we can work together to make this really local to Laramie County." Commissioners approved the zone change request unanimously. Commission Chairman Gunnar Malm said that through meetings with Vantage officials, he can see that they are committed to giving back to Laramie County. "When we talk about these large industrial projects, or Laramie County in general, when we meet with folks, we tell them Wyoming and Laramie County are open for business, but you have to be willing to enter into a Wyoming relationship," Malm said. "... I think we've long looked as a community for industry that not only uses Wyoming resources to produce and power the nation, but produce power that was utilized right here in Laramie County." Let the news come to you. Get any of our free email newsletters - news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more. Alyssa Tolman is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's local government/business reporter. She can be reached at 307-633-3167 or [email protected].

Newport residents raise concerns over Vantage data centre. A data centre towering over nearby homes is already causing distress and daily disruption for residents. Located at the end of their gardens in Newport, South Wales, the Vantage Data Centre in Duffryn is set to cover over 46 acres when construction finishes later this year. Residents have described persistent noise, construction traffic, and concerns about long-term impacts on their health, property values, and quality of life. Vantage Data Centre overlooking the family housing estate in Newport. (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE) Dale Johnston, 59, who has lived next to the site with his wife for more than 20 years, said: "They are there 8am every morning. "There is continuous noise from machines and they don't finish until 6pm. "They don't give us a break from it all. "It has made my wife ill with worry." The couple has lost more than just peace and quiet. Mr Johnston said: "We have lost the sun. We used to see it setting behind our house and now it is hidden behind the site." He is also worried about what will happen once the data centre is operational. Mr Johnston said: "Construction is supposed to end this year. "We don't know what it will all sound like when they have all the fans running when it opens. "I made sure they put up a wooden fence in my garden for some privacy and they planted some trees. "They clean our windows once a month but that's it. "We have monthly meetings with Vantage but they are going to stop after Christmas and what will happen then? "It feels like Newport City Council just rubber-stamped the whole thing without thinking about the people living here." Fury over plans for massive data centre amid fears it will send house prices plummeting Other residents share his concerns. Amanda Young, who lives on the same street, said: "It used to be a nice, quiet area but with more data centres coming in, we kind of don't know what they're going to bring with them. "My biggest concern is the noise, the visual impact and whether it will affect house prices. "Whichever window you look out, you can see it. "When you're sitting in the lounge, you can actually see it there." A 79-year-old neighbour, who has lived in the area for 51 years, described the dramatic change to the landscape. He said: "There used to be cows in the garden and I could see to Cardiff from here. "I don't think that it will all get used once it is built. "I think everybody is throwing money at AI and nobody has stopped to think what is the long-term future of it. "Is it really going to help the people of Newport? "Is it really going to stop rough sleeping or benefit people here?" The rise of artificial intelligence has triggered a boom in data centre construction across the UK, with the government describing them as critical national infrastructure. However, questions have been raised about their environmental impact, including demands on electricity, water, and the national grid. The scale of the data centre looming over the nearby houses (Image: WALES NEWS SERVICE) A spokesman for Vantage Data Center said the company is "committed to being a good neighbour" and works closely with local authorities to manage "construction activity, including traffic, noise and lighting" while incorporating "measures designed to protect the local environment." Newport City Council said it ensures that planning applications consider impacts on biodiversity, lighting, noise, and construction traffic. A Welsh Government spokesman said: "Any proposed data centre development remains subject to the existing planning system and environmental regulation, with robust checks and balances in place to ensure that environmental and community impacts are properly considered before consent is granted. "Investment in data centres has the potential to create new economic opportunities and support skilled employment, while strengthening Wales' attractiveness as a leading destination for advanced digital investment." The Newport campus will consist of three data centres designed to meet the growing demand for digital infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence. Residents remain concerned about the long-term effects on their community and environment once the site becomes fully operational.