Good morning and happy first Monday of spring, which most of you reading this will fittingly spend under a winter weather advisory.
Since you don’t want to be out in all that right now, let’s just jump right into the news, shall we?
THE NEWS
ENERGY
Data centers are proliferating. So are concerns about their effects on Colorado’s environment.
From generating bizarre images (and never quite getting fingers right) to running complex industrial algorithms, the rising usage of large language models (like ChatGPT) and faster cloud storage are creating a parallel demand for big, powerful data centers. But as the state scrambles to reach its ambitious climate goals, Mark Jaffe writes, regulators wonder just how much incentive the energy hungry data centers actually need to build in Colorado.
ENVIRONMENT
Asphalt, gravel demand is rising as residents near Colorado mines push back against expansion
To fix some of Colorado’s biggest problems — a shortage of housing units and deteriorating roads — we’re going to need a lot of asphalt and gravel. But as the mines that produce the necessary materials look to expand, they’re meeting more — and more organized — resistance from neighbors who say water and air quality must be considered before more extraction can be added. Jason Blevins has more on the growing conflict.
HOUSING
Should Steamboat build 2,264 homes for 6,000 workers? Voters get a say Tuesday.
West of Steamboat Springs, 420 acres of the former Brown Ranch could be annexed by the city to build 2,264 affordable homes. That is, if voters approve the plan. Jason Blevins digs into why there is opposition to neighborhood plan, which kicked off with an anonymous $24 million donation.
READ MORE, PODCAST CONVERSATION
EDUCATION
As most high schoolers head home for the day, these Colorado Springs students are just starting class
For two years, Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs has been offering a night school for students who are working or taking care of family during the day. And as Erica Breunlin reports, the flexibility required of staff and students is tough, but is slowly making a difference in the high poverty district.
ECONOMY
Tourism is a major driver of the Colorado economy. But it’s not all organic.
$26.1 billion
The amount that 90 million visitors to Colorado spent in 2022, up from $22 billion in 2021.
Tourism creates more jobs faster than any other industry in Colorado. And it didn’t get that way on its own. In this week’s edition of “What’s Working” Tracy Ross and Tamara Chuang look at how the Colorado Tourism Office has been shaping this rise in tourism — and how stewardship has become a driving force in their plans.
MORE NEWS
Colorado Sunday
This Colorado rancher sees a world where conservation can turn a profit
Dave Gottenborg and his wife, Jean, go all-in on conservation ranching on their 3,000-acre Eagle Rock Ranch in Park County, where they work the land led by the ethos of the conservationist Aldo Leopold. As Tracy Ross reports in this week’s Colorado Sunday, this ranching family prides itself on being hands-on and transparent, often inviting customers to visit the ranch to see how their cows are raised and talk about sustainability.
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COMMUNITY
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I’m sure spring is around here somewhere. Hopefully we’ll see some of it before summer.
Thanks for starting your week with us! Have a great day and we’ll see you back here tomorrow.
— Eric and the whole staff of The Sun
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