Markets / Denver
C&W 2026 Americas · Secondary #9 · updated 2026-11-05
Denver / Colorado Front Range
The core city has paused through May 2027 and the tariff is unsettled. This is TJ's home market: field notes will add color here.
coolingGrid: Xcel Energy (Public Service Co. of Colorado)
[Cushman & Wakefield, 2026 Global Data Center Market Comparison (Americas rankings) (2026-05)]
Power and the queue
- Xcel's proposed Colorado large-load tariff (50 MW+, long contracts, minimum payments, exit charges) is pending and suspended in PUC proceeding 26AL-0137E. [Colorado PUC: electric rate cases (Xcel large-load tariff, proceeding 26AL-0137E) (2026-11-05); Xcel Energy: proposal protects customers from higher bills as data center demand grows (2026)]
Notable projects owners where public
No verified public item yet. This is a gap we are working on.
Regulatory posture incentives, moratoria, zoning, water, large-load rules
- Denver: a one-year moratorium on new data center permits, effective May 21, 2026. Operating and permitted projects are unaffected. [Axios Denver: Denver pauses new data center development for one year (2026-05-19)]
Pending legislation and actions 3 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-05 | Xcel Energy (CO) utility | Proposed large-load tariff, PUC 26AL-0137Euncertain Covers 50 MW+ loads with dedicated upgrades, long contracts, minimum payments and exit charges. Suspended and pending. | pending | medium | [Colorado PUC: electric rate cases (Xcel large-load tariff, proceeding 26AL-0137E) (2026-11-05)] |
| 2026-09-22 | Commerce City city | Draft Commerce City ordinance considered at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting (specific date and ordinance number not confirmed in this pass; reported as a 'Monday night' vote in coverage pubuncertain City Council considered a staff-recommended six-month moratorium on data center development applications; adoption status as of 2026-09-23 was not confirmed. Duration: Draft ordinance would impose a six-month moratorium on approving data center development pla | pending | medium | [https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/another-colorado-city-is-considering-a-pause-on-da (2026-09-22)] |
| undated | Arvada city | Ordinance authorizing a moratorium on primary use data center applications (first reading 2026-09-15)uncertain Awaiting second reading/final Council vote on 2026-10-06 Duration: 18 months (proposed) | pending | medium | [https://www.arvadaco.gov/1604/September-15-2026-recap] |
In force / enacted 7 items
| Date | Jurisdiction | Item | Status | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-31 | Mead town | Town of Mead ordinance (specific ordinance number not located in this pass), adopted August 31, 2026 Board of Trustees approved a 12-month moratorium on data center applications to give staff time to study impacts and develop regulations. Duration: 12-month moratorium preventing data centers from applying to develop in Mead; does not permanently prohibit data | in force | high | [https://berthoudsurveyor.com/mead-approves-12-month-data-center-moratorium/] |
| 2026-07-21 | Lochbuie town | Town of Lochbuie ordinance (specific ordinance number not located in this pass), adopted July 21, 2026 Town Board passed a five-year moratorium on data center applications, the longest such pause reported in Colorado. Duration: Five-year pause on the Town's acceptance and review of applications for new or expanded data center facilities -- reported as the longe | in force | high | [https://www.rmpbs.org/news/government/lochbuie-approves-five-year-data-center-moratorium] |
| 2026-07-07 | Broomfield city | City and County of Broomfield Ordinance 2313 Duration: Stops acceptance, pre-submittal activity, and processing for new or expanded data center facilities and other large energy users with projected loads of at least 10 MW. The pause lasts 18 months from its effective date, or until relevant municipal de | in force | high | [https://www.broomfield.org/DocumentCenter/View/68733] |
| 2026-07-01 | Hudson town | Town of Hudson Ordinance 26-13uncertain Duration: Temporary moratorium on new data center facility applications while the town evaluates land-use and infrastructure regulations. Precise duration, effective date, and exceptions were not located in reviewed sources. | in force | high | [Town of Hudson Town Council Regular Meeting Minutes, July 1, 2026 (2026-07-01)] |
| 2026-06-02 | Boulder County county | Boulder County resolution imposing a temporary moratorium on processing Data and Detention Center applications, authorized at the Board of County Commissioners' June 2, 2026 Business Meeting, per the uncertain Commissioners voted unanimously for a six-month moratorium on accepting applications for data centers and detention centers in industrial areas Duration: Six months, from June 2, 2026 through the close of business on December 2, 2026, per the county's own draf | in force | high | [Authorization Memo: Data and Detention Centers (with attached draft Resolution) (2026-06-02)] |
| 2026-05-21 | Denver city | One-year moratorium on new data center permits Effective May 21, 2026. Operating and permitted projects are unaffected. | in force | high | [Axios Denver: Denver pauses new data center development for one year (2026-05-19)] |
| 2026-05-19 | Jefferson County county | Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners action taken at a public hearing on May 19, 2026, per the County's own official jeffco.us news release; a numbered resolution/ordinance citation was not County weighing environmental impacts against economic benefits before allowing new data center applications. Duration: Ten-month moratorium adopted at a May 19, 2026 public hearing on new applications for development of, or rezoning to allow, data centers in | in force | high | [Jefferson County Board of Commissioners issues 10-month moratorium on data centers (2026-05-19)] |
Pricing & supply snapshot directional
MW Desk estimate / directional range, Q4 2026
Asking-rate bands below are MW Desk directional estimates in USD per kW-month. They are rounded ranges, not quoted rates, and they go stale quickly.
- Retail colo (roughly 0–250 kW): $155–370/kW-mo
- Wholesale (roughly 250 kW–4 MW): $100–210/kW-mo
- Large / hyperscale blocks (roughly 4 MW+): $105–205/kW-mo
- Vacancy band: around 10–12% (more available than core markets)
- Commissioned inventory (directional): ~130–220 MW
- Available power (directional): ~5–30 MW
- Under construction: ~0–25 MW
- Planned pipeline: ~0.4–0.9 GW
- Absorption: light positive absorption
- Power / timing: More near-term colo availability than primary AI markets; still confirm substation and transmission timing for large loads.
Indicative only. Ranges are rounded and adjusted directional estimates, not quoted asking rates or a survey. Confirm with brokers and operators before acting. Source data ages quickly.
TJ field notes
Coming soon: TJ's on-the-ground notes on this market. Expect what the queue really looks like, which sites can actually get power, and what the brokers aren't saying.
Slot reserved for TJ's detailed market report.