The group Protect Our Water and Energy Resources, or POWER, said each of its two petitions has about 15,000 signatures. The county must verify at least 9,120 signatures on each petition for them to qualify, a threshold equal to 5% of the voters who participated in the 2024 general election. Organizers plan to submit the petitions next week.

One petition seeks a referendum on Weld County’s approval of a 41-acre Global AI data center site just outside Windsor. The other would require future data center projects and expansions to win countywide voter approval, in addition to meeting existing county and state requirements.

If the initiative qualifies, it would go to a special election. For the referendum, county commissioners would first decide whether to reverse the project approval or send the question to voters alongside the initiative.

County Clerk Carly Koppes said Weld County has not held a special election in decades. Based on the county’s analysis of general election costs, she estimated one could cost between $650,000 and $750,000. By comparison, a special election in Greeley last year cost about $350,000, according to the city.

The petition drive follows months of public opposition to the project, including concerns about transparency, energy demand and environmental effects. Nearly 60 people spoke against the plan across two county hearings, while three spoke in support. Commissioners unanimously approved Global AI’s permit on Sept. 9.

Windsor resident Kurt Gulder, who lives with his wife about a mile from the site, said the couple signed both petitions after learning about them on social media. He said residents worry commissioners are giving too much weight to promised tax revenue and not enough to the project’s effects on nearby communities.

POWER organizer Patricia Garcia-Nelson said the petitions offered residents a way to act after opposition grew. The group hired three contractors to collect signatures and also promoted the drive through postcards, social media and personal outreach.

The campaign is backed by Broe Real Estate, which owns Great Western Industrial Park next to the Global AI site. Broe has sued Weld County over the county’s handling of the data center’s permit application, alleging commissioners did not follow proper procedures.

County Planning Director David Eisenbraun questioned whether a ballot measure could undo the approval, saying the project had gone through the county’s permitting process. Koppes said the clerk’s office does not assess whether proposed measures are legally valid. The petitions could still face legal challenges even if they meet the signature requirement.

Global AI spokesperson William Allison said by email that the company remains committed to developing the project responsibly and working with residents, businesses and government leaders. The company did not say whether it would challenge the petitions in court.

The county’s petition deadline for the regular general election was July 6, about two months before commissioners approved the project. Because that deadline had passed, any election on the measures would be a special election rather than part of the regular ballot.