Natrona County commissioners talk site tours, draft permit conditions for Prometheus data center proposal

CASPER, Wyo. -- On Tuesday, Natrona County commissioners spoke about recent site tours and reviewed 15 draft permit conditions for the proposed 1.5-gigawatt Prometheus Hyperscale data center.

During the board's afternoon work session, county Development Director Sabrina Kemper shared conditional use permit rules borrowed from Uinta County, where Prometheus plans a similar campus.

"Just kind of looking for feedback on those conditions to see where we're at," Kemper said, asking if the board wanted to use the framework or start over.

Commissioners urged caution with the rules, with Commissioner Casey Coates pointing out that the Uinta County project has not yet been built. The board also questioned where developers will get the water needed for road work and dust control during site construction.

Nicolaysen once again announced he would recuse himself from future decisions, telling the board he cannot vote on the project because the new proposed site on the Falls Ranch property south of Interstate 25 still borders his family's property. During a recent site tour, he realized the footprint sits next to his aunt's property off Hat Six Road.

"So my conclusion is that I have a conflict of interest and that I won't be voting on this matter if and when it comes before the commission while I'm a commissioner," he said.

He said he plans to step down to the public podium to speak as an affected landowner instead.

Nicolaysen also questioned whether the county should zone the entire 1,000-acre area as industrial or keep the footprint smaller. Primary access for the site is planned for a new Interstate 25 interchange west of Big Muddy Creek.

Commissioners Dallas Laird and Dave North reported on their own site visit last week, separate of the site tour Nicolaysen attended. Laird said the land sits in a low draw that would shield the facility from neighboring properties. North said he was pleased with the location after seeing it firsthand.

Commissioners reiterated that Evansville-based Mesa Power Solutions will supply stationary natural gas generators for the campus. North said those generators would likely run quieter than the Jenbacher J620, which Prometheus had previously said it would use. Mesa expects to hire at least 25 full-time technicians to maintain the equipment on-site.

Laird compared the data center proposal to the oil refineries that once drove Casper's economy, saying that the community weathered industrial pollution in exchange for growth.

"Those were polluting businesses. They polluted the river. They polluted the air and all that, and Casper survived it," he said, adding it will be up to the commissioners to set parameters to protect county residents. "I am fixated on what that will do for this community if we really do get $50 million to $100 million in taxes. We can hire the people we need, or we can run people out of town. It's kind of what the refineries did for Casper, really."

Still, Laird stressed that county officials cannot act on promises alone.

"I also have a statement -- it doesn't mean anything till it's in writing, and we don't have anything in writing yet," he said.

The discussion follows weeks of debate after Prometheus founder Trenton Thornock and Build Wyoming Director Eric Schlidt pitched the 1.5-gigawatt campus on 940 acres of the Falls Ranch, owned by Texas billionaire Russell Gordy. Developers asked for an industrial park zoning designation to bypass review by the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council.

Neighbors and conservation groups have pushed back against the project. Residents have raised concerns over round-the-clock generator noise, air pollution, light, water use and falling property values.

Laird said Gordy was along for his site tour last week.

"I think it'd be a good idea for him to address the public to see who who this person is because he doesn't want ruin his ranch," he said. "I think he said he there's 17,000 acres there and they're going to use about a thousand.

"He's a really nice person. And he doesn't want to hurt anybody," Laird added.

County officials said Prometheus has not yet filed a formal application. Any official proposal must first go through the Natrona County Planning and Zoning Commission and public hearings before commissioners take a final vote.