The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – Aug. 14, 2026
Published on August 14, 2026
I love this time of year. Beautiful weather for yard work and great evenings to barbecue and eat on the deck. The one thing that gets me down is the days are getting shorter and I know it won’t be long before we are feeling the cool fall days. Loving it while it lasts.
I invited Renny MacKay from the Wyoming Business Alliance to coffee, and to talk about all things economic development. The Wyoming Business Alliance is a statewide business coalition and advocacy organization. I appreciate the WBA’s statewide listening sessions that help develop their advocacy message for the business community at the Legislature. Helping Wyoming diversify and grow our economy is essential for our future. Keeping our kids home depends on it.
The Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce held a panel discussion on data centers during their monthly luncheon. Representatives from Related Digital, Microsoft, Meta, and Black Hills Energy answered tough questions from the chamber moderator. I appreciated the representative from BHE explaining the tariff they use to sell power to data centers. It requires the data center to pay for 100% of their electrical infrastructure – protecting residents and our small businesses from having to subsidize the data center in any way. He described BHE as the air traffic controller that directs cheaper electricity to residents and more expensive energy to data centers. It requires data centers to provide their own backup power because the grid priority for power goes to residential and small businesses if a power shortage were to ever happen. He told the business audience that the tariff results in net benefits to residents – fixed costs are spread out over more customers – resulting in millions of dollars of benefits to their customers in the form of lowered residential electric bills.
The Chamber asked about the pressure data centers have on the workforce affecting small businesses in Cheyenne. The truth is that it has had an effect. The companies talked about the decisions and investments they are making to grow the workforce for the benefit of everyone, including building in phases to limit the workforce needed and sponsoring LCCC’s Data Center Academy, American Workforce Academy, and LCSD1’s Trades Academy to help kids who want to go to work upon graduation. These efforts grow the pipeline of people trained to work in data centers and for the other businesses serving our community.
The question was asked about the future of data centers – what they will look like in 30 years. I think the concern is what happens to the buildings when technology improves for storing and transmitting data. Microsoft shared that their first data center in Quincy, Washington, was built 20 years ago and is still in operation. It has been updated to the newer technology and that is what the panel predicted for data centers in the future – existing buildings will still be in use with updates made as technology improves. Meta shared that their oldest data center is also still operating and is being refitted with the newest tech. Demand for data is growing – data centers will need to evolve but won’t go away.
With the projected development of natural gas power plants coming to Laramie County, I asked for a meeting with the Air Quality Division of the Department of Environmental Quality. I wanted to understand how they were establishing a baseline for our current air quality and the requirements they were placing on these new power facilities. Amber and Mark explained the years of existing data they have and the required monitoring for each power plant that comes online in the county. I appreciated their patience in explaining what the air quality division does and how they protect Wyoming’s air quality with every permit they issue.
We received good news recently: the Air Force has approved the gift package that will allow our community to build a parking lot across the interstate from Frontier Park. This parking lot will eventually be connected to Frontier Park by a bridge over I-25. Getting this approval will help ensure the customer parking experience at Cheyenne Frontier Days is a positive one. The plan is to build the parking lot next year and then the bridge the following year.
I joined the mayor of Pinedale on a phone call with Representative Hageman this week. I know how busy she is and I appreciate the hour she dedicated to discussing economic development and how we can diversify our economy. She shared her concern that we balance development while protecting the communities where development is happening. Giving our kids and young families the choice to make their homes in Wyoming is the goal. Too many kids move away and don’t come back.
Cheyenne has a new rabbi, Mitch Delcau, serving the Jewish community in our area. It was nice of him to stop by and introduce himself, and it is awesome that Mt. Sinai’s congregation has a religious leader in the synagogue. I won’t hold his Colorado State education against him as he showed up in boots and a cowboy hat. Welcome, Rabbi!
The Wyoming County Commissioners Association brought a group of commissioners to Cheyenne to tour a data center this week. They are from counties where discussions about data center development are being held. I joined the group for lunch to answer any questions they might have with our 14 years of data center experience here in Cheyenne. They asked great questions and I am sure they will find the right balance for their communities.
City Council made improving communication with our residents a goal this year. We took a step in that direction with the hiring of Ben Silver as a digital communications specialist this week. His video experience will help us use social media to get more of our messages to more of you, where you spend much of your time. Excited to have him on our team.
Our fire department earned accreditation by the Center for Public Safety Excellence, becoming one of 336 accredited departments in the world. I am proud to say that our fire chief has earned the professional designation as Chief Fire Officer from the CPSE. To earn the CFO designation, Chief Dykshorn had to demonstrate high levels of education, experience, professional development, leadership, technical competence, professional involvement and community service. Constantly evolving to meet the community risk is what our department does every day. Please congratulate the Chief when you see him.
The primary election is on Tuesday. I hope everyone reading the mayor’s minute is planning to vote. We have 14 propositions on the 6th Penny sales tax, and the future of so many elected offices are at stake. I hope to see you at the polls. The future of our community and state depend on it.