Denver has appointed 26 people to recommend whether and under what conditions data centers should operate in the city, as officials consider how to manage facilities that can place heavy demands on electricity, water and infrastructure. Mayor Mike Johnston and City Council members named the group Wednesday after receiving more than 250 applications. Its members include residents, union members, academics and environmental advocates, along with representatives of Xcel Energy, Denver Water and the data-center industry. The Data Center Working Group is scheduled to hold its first meeting Friday and spend several months developing policy recommendations. Denver could extend its moratorium on new data-center development, now in effect through at least May 2027, if the group needs more time. “It will be Denver — not corporations — that decide if and how data centers may operate in our city,” Johnston said Wednesday. The city has not ruled out a range of possible approaches. When the City Council approved the moratorium in May, some members raised the possibility of an outright ban on new facilities. Other proposals included limiting large, so-called hyperscale data centers or requiring cooling systems that use less water. The debate comes as Colorado communities set their own policies after state lawmakers failed to reach agreement on a statewide approach this year. Brighton recently paused development, while Colorado Springs delayed a decision on a proposed data center for seven months to conduct further studies and develop guidelines. For Denver, the working group’s recommendations could shape whether companies can build new facilities and what conditions they must meet. The city’s decisions will affect how data-center growth is balanced against local demands for power, water and infrastructure.