Angry Colorado business owners sue to block GlobalAI data center

Two business groups argue Weld County wrongfully approved GlobalAI’s data center proposal despite the tech company’s failure to mitigate noise or secure a consistent power supply.GREELEY, Colorado (CN) — Northern Colorado business owners sued Weld County over its approval of a GlobalAI data center proposal even after it failed to meet energy and noise requirements.“The board of county commissioners ignored the overwhelming opposition of the public who submitted comments to the BOCC,” business owners write in the 26-page complaint filed Tuesday. “Even more critically, however, the BOCC ignored numerous fundamental flaws inherent within GlobalAI’s proposal.”The Weld County Board of County Commissioners amended the building code in January, anticipating GlobalAI’s data center proposal after the company purchased property in Windsor, Colorado, in November 2025.The rule change allows the county to grant data centers “use by special review” to operate in light industrial zones with a cap on noise, and letters from local utilities guaranteeing power and water supply needed for operation.Business groups GWIP Land Company and Windsor Renewal sued Weld County and GlobalAI in state court on Tuesday, arguing the county wrongfully approved GlobalAI’s special review request despite the tech company’s failure to deliver adequate mitigation plans for noise produced by the 52,200-square-foot facility.In addition, the business groups say GlobalAI only secured a temporary water supply, despite needing to refill its 65,000 gallon closed-loop system every three years.With the facility anticipated to require as much power as 200 homes, the local utility company cast doubt at being able to supply consistent electricity to the data center.When asked to provide a will serve letter for the project, electricity provider Poudre Valley REA only committed to providing power through 2030. In addition, Poudre Valley would only provide 23 megawatts through the final year, when the project demanded 27.5 megawatts.To cover these shortfalls, the county’s director of oil and gas recommended asking GlobalAI to generate all of its first phase power on site.The county’s approval of the project came months after the local building inspector started serving GlobalAI notices to cease construction for code violations.Instead of pursuing the violations, the business owners argue, the county allowed GlobalAI to break its large project into smaller pieces that were more likely to receive approval.“GlobalAI has intentionally segmented its project into smaller, less objectionable requests so as to evade meaningful public input,” the businesses argue in the complaint. “For instance, GlobalAI has trumpeted the 200 jobs that will supposedly be created by the fully phased project while avoiding the referral process required for a project that will ultimately consume more power than 200,000 Colorado homes.”Current regulations cap data center noise at 65 decibels, a level the data center’s chillers reached in a March noise study, according to the businesses. Even with a sound wall, residents fear the data center’s noise will exceed 85 decibels at the edge of the property.Throughout the process, the county additionally failed to produce records requested about the project, according to the business owners, including commissioner communications with GlobalAI and visits to other data centers.The business owners ask the court to vacate the board’s permit approval and enjoin GlobalAI from continuing data center construction that violates zoning law.The businesses are represented by attorney Andrew Peters, who practices with Otten Johnson in Denver.Neither the county nor GlobalAI immediately responded to an inquiry for comment.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads