CASPER, WY — At a packed Natrona County Courthouse meeting on Tuesday, developers of the proposed Prometheus Hyperscale data center asked commissioners to treat a 940‑acre parcel south of Interstate 25 as an industrial park. The designation would let the $500 million project bypass the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council’s review while keeping county‑level oversight.
Developers argue local control speeds progress
Prometheus founder Trenton Thornock and Build Wyoming director Eric Schlidt explained that the industrial‑park label would allow the company to apply for a planned‑unit development and avoid the “cumbersome and time‑consuming” state process. Thornock stressed that the exemption would not eliminate any environmental or regulatory requirements; state agencies such as the Department of Environmental Quality and the Wyoming Department of Transportation would still regulate air, water and road impacts.
“Local control, in my opinion, is much better than state siting oversight,” Thornock told the board. “You, the county commissioners and local officials, know your community and its needs better than a state council in Cheyenne.”
Project details and local benefits
Prometheus plans to build a 1.5‑gigawatt data‑center campus on the Falls Ranch property, owned by Texas billionaire Russell Gordy. The site would house 300 acres for on‑site power generation and 640 acres for data‑center halls west of Big Muddy Creek. The company says it will use a closed‑loop cooling system that recirculates a water‑and‑food‑grade propylene glycol blend for five to six years before recycling, eliminating ongoing water draw or wastewater discharge.
In partnership with Evansville‑based Mesa Power Solutions, Prometheus intends to power the campus with natural‑gas generators, a shift from earlier plans to use Jenbacher units. The on‑site power generation would keep the facility off the public utility grid.
Schlidt estimated the development could support roughly 3,000 temporary construction jobs at peak build‑out and 150 permanent positions once operational. Annual property‑tax revenue is projected between $80 million and $115 million.
Community concerns and commissioner questions
Public comment was robust. Residents voiced worries about noise, heat, traffic, water use, and the impact of large natural‑gas generators on the rural prairie. Long‑time Casper resident Sherry Johnson urged commissioners to visit the proposed site, warning that the landscape could be permanently altered. Erika Cook, who lives downstream, expressed fear that the generators would create constant noise and emissions.
Commissioner Peter Nicolaysen asked about the timing of community‑benefit agreements, noting that finalizing permits before negotiations could reduce the county’s leverage. Commissioner Dallas Laird emphasized the need for written agreements and a clear zoning change before moving forward.
Previous county actions and next steps
Converse County previously adopted, then rescinded, a policy to streamline industrial‑park designations for the project after the state attorney general ruled the county lacked authority to create independent exemption procedures. In June, Uinta County approved a similar zone change for a 640‑acre Prometheus campus on a family ranch outside Evanston, demonstrating a precedent for local‑level handling.
Thornock offered to arrange a site tour of the Nova data center in West Jordan, Utah, for Natrona officials and highlighted prior safety coordination with fire agencies in Evanston and Uinta counties.
Commissioners’ next move
Commissioners did not vote on the request Tuesday, opting instead to take additional public comment and review the zoning proposal. The county will consider whether an industrial‑park designation aligns with local development goals, environmental safeguards, and the concerns of Casper residents.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
