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Happy Spring from Wyoming, where for data centers, it's like spring every day

wyoming
Account Manager Black Hills Energy

There’s a lot to love about spring. The sun finally stays up late enough for my wife and I to squeeze in the occasional quick nine holes of golf after work or a leisurely walk with our dog, Todd. 

Plus, being the energy-geek that I am, I like when I get to save energy at home with the mild spring temperatures. I no longer have to crank the furnace. I don’t have to worry about an air conditioner inspection as we don’t have one. Even in the heat of the late summer, our house temperature rarely exceeds 70 degrees. 

On a much larger scale, data centers in Wyoming get to take advantage of this kind of energy savings year around. Wyoming claims the lowest number of cooling days in the region. The elevation of Cheyenne is 6,100 feet. Our climate is semi-arid, and according to the National Weather Service, Cheyenne averages only 10 days per year when the temperature exceeds 90 degrees. 

Plus, our central location means we don’t have to worry about usual threats such as earthquakes and tornadoes. As for wind, that is another story. Southeast Wyoming is known for its wind but I see that as an opportunity, not a threat. Over 1,500 megawatts of new wind capacity is expected to come online in Wyoming this year, with nearly 300 MW of that under construction in Laramie County. 

How important is the climate when you’re in the site selection process? How do you value a favorable climate, renewable energy availability, and substantial OpEx savings on power?