Cheyenne Annexes Land to Manage Data Center Boom

The city's push to annex county pockets is driven by a surge of billion-dollar data center projects.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 12:38am

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a sleek, polished data server rack made of brushed aluminum and tempered glass, floating on a clean, monochromatic background and dramatically lit to symbolize the abstract power and infrastructure behind the data center industry.The gleaming hardware of Cheyenne's data center boom represents the powerful infrastructure fueling the city's rapid growth.Cheyenne Today

Cheyenne is systematically annexing pockets of Laramie County into city limits to keep up with a boom of massive data center projects, including a $1.2 billion facility by Related Digital and Meta's $800 million, 715,000-square-foot data center. Mayor Patrick Collins says the annexation strategy allows the city to fund necessary infrastructure and manage the rapid growth.

Why it matters

Cheyenne has emerged as a national hub for data centers, attracted by the region's cool climate, business-friendly policies, and access to renewable energy. The city's annexation push aims to maintain control over this explosive growth and ensure it can provide the required services and utilities.

The details

Cheyenne has approved several major data center projects in recent years, including a 2.7-gigawatt AI data center by Tallgrass Energy and Crusoe Energy Systems, and a 302-megawatt, $1.2 billion facility by Related Digital. Meta is also building an $800 million, 715,000-square-foot data center in the city. To manage this growth, Cheyenne has been systematically annexing county pockets and expanding its boundaries to incorporate the new data centers.

  • In 2022, the Cheyenne City Council began annexing county pockets into the city limits.
  • In 2024, further annexations allowed the North Range Business Park to expand.
  • In January 2026, an agreement was announced between TerraPower and Meta for up to eight advanced nuclear reactors across the U.S., potentially putting Cheyenne in position to host a dual-unit Natrium nuclear plant.

The players

Patrick Collins

The mayor of Cheyenne, who says the city's focus on annexing is a way to keep up with the area's growth and ability to fund necessary infrastructure.

Dale Steenbergen

The president and CEO of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, who says Laramie County was an early leader in the data center industry.

Betsey Hale

The CEO of Cheyenne LEADS, an economic development entity for the city of Cheyenne and Laramie County, who says data centers have staked claim to areas that are compatible with existing uses.

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What they’re saying

“The way municipalities are growing is a challenge we face. Data centers absolutely factor in.”

— Patrick Collins, Mayor of Cheyenne

“Laramie County 'an early leader in the space.'”

— Dale Steenbergen, President and CEO, Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce

“We've truly benefited from having land use business regulations with business parks.”

— Betsey Hale, CEO, Cheyenne LEADS

What’s next

The Cheyenne City Council will continue to evaluate further annexation opportunities as the data center boom continues, and the city will work with Laramie County to ensure coordinated land use planning and infrastructure development.

The takeaway

Cheyenne's proactive approach to annexation and land use regulations has allowed the city to capitalize on the data center boom, providing necessary services and infrastructure while maintaining control over the rapid growth. This model could serve as a blueprint for other communities seeking to manage the influx of large-scale technology projects.