Moffat County Confirms Data Center Interest in Trapper Area

Steamboat Springs —Moffat County has confirmed it was contacted by two entities regarding potential data center development in the Trapper area, directly contradicting earlier statements from its Planning and Zoning director that suggested the county was merely preparing for a future possibility.

The confirmation came in an Aug. 6 press release, hours after Club 20 Executive Director Wade Haerle told Craig Daily Press reporter John Camponeschi that local officials were operating under nondisclosure agreements regarding preliminary talks. The county’s statement clarified that while discussions are underway, they remain "preliminary and exploratory in nature." No formal application has been submitted, and no specific data center proposal is currently under review.

This distinction matters for residents who have watched their zoning regulations shift without a clear trigger. During Wednesday’s commission meeting, Planning and Zoning Director Candace Miller described the zoning review as a proactive measure. She told the group she was initiating the changes "so that we can be prepared if that were to come our way."

When a resident asked where the initiative originated, Miller said she had been monitoring developments across the United States. Data centers were a topic likely to arrive because existing regulations did not specifically address them. When another speaker asked whether the review was her idea, she answered simply: "It was my idea."

Haerle’s report suggested a more immediate reality. He noted that several companies are examining locations across Western Colorado, particularly communities with coal-fired power plants that have closed or are scheduled to close. These sites remain attractive due to transmission infrastructure. The county’s press release now establishes that private entities had already expressed interest before the commission began publicly considering zoning changes.

Questions remain about the specifics of those discussions. The county did not specify when the talks began, which departments participated, or whether the entities made specific requests related to land use, infrastructure, or regulatory changes. The county’s admission that two entities are involved suggests the zoning changes were not made in a vacuum, but rather in response to actual market interest.

The part everyone skips past is the timeline. Haerle’s interview preceded the county’s official confirmation, creating a brief window where residents were left wondering if their neighbors were being sold a bill of goods. The county’s denial of nondisclosure agreements is also notable; it implies that while the talks are real, they may not be locked in by strict secrecy clauses.

Haerle has been vocal about the potential for data centers to bring economic activity to areas like Trapper, which sits near former coal-fired power sites. The county’s current stance is one of cautious openness. They are not saying no, nor are they saying yes to a specific project. They are simply acknowledging that the phone has been ringing.

Stand there long enough and you can see the difference between preparation and reaction. Miller’s "my idea" narrative offered a clean, proactive story for the commission. The county’s press release offers a messier, more accurate one: people are calling, and the county is listening.

The two entities have not yet filed paperwork. The zoning changes are still being debated. But the silence from the county offices is broken, replaced by a press release that names no names but confirms the presence of interest.