Utility interconnect, not the building, sets the pace of a data center. A shell can be dried in within a season, but the switchgear, transformers and generators it depends on arrive on the manufacturer's calendar, and the utility energizes the site on its own. We build data centers by working backward from the energization date: the electrical yard, duct banks and service entrance first, then the white space, the mechanical plant and the support spaces that make the critical load usable.
Colorado's power picture shapes where an owner can find capacity. The Fort St. Vrain station near Platteville was Colorado's only nuclear plant (330 MWe) from 1979 to 1989, was converted to natural gas in 1996 and is now a combined-cycle plant of roughly 965 MW. The Craig Station in Moffat County is a three-unit, 1,285 megawatt coal plant, and its owner intends to retire Unit 3 (448 MW) by January 1, 2028 and Unit 2 by September 30, 2028. Retiring generation and existing transmission corridors are the kind of assets that owners study when they weigh a site for a high-density load.
We do not promise capacity that a utility has not committed. What we offer is a construction plan that treats the power path as the first deliverable and that is honest about each dependency. Our data center construction service covers shell, white space, electrical and mechanical rough-in and coordinated testing, and data center support buildings covers the generator yards, utility buildings and security structures that sit around the main hall.
Sequencing the build from the substation inward
The work begins at the property line. We locate the utility point of interconnection, the easements and the route to the main switchgear, then build the underground duct banks, vaults and equipment pads while the shell design is still being finalized. Underground work is the least visible part of the project and the most expensive to correct. Our electrical duct bank and underground work is detailed with spare conduits for future phases, because adding capacity later means digging up a finished yard.
Next, we erect the shell and complete the slab with a flatness suited to raised-floor or slab-on-grade systems. Because the critical equipment is heavy, we coordinate housekeeping pads, generator foundations and chiller or cooling tower supports as concrete scopes with the mechanical team, so that pours happen once. We stage commissioning in levels, from factory acceptance through integrated systems testing, and we place those events on the baseline schedule.
Site and structure items that matter in Colorado
Hail is the leading exterior risk. Denver sits at 5,280 feet, ranks 10th among U.S. areas of at least 50,000 people for hailstorm risk and has had three of the ten costliest U.S. hailstorms in July 1990, July 2009 and May 2017. Rooftop cooling equipment, condensers and dry coolers need hail guards or screening, and roof membranes need an impact rating to match. The same elevation affects cooling: thinner air lowers air-cooled equipment capacity, so mechanical engineers apply an altitude derating when they size the plant.
Buildings that change hands matter too. In March 2024 Intel announced that it would sell its Fort Collins facility on the Harmony Road corridor while seeking smaller space in the market. Large existing buildings with structure and services already in place are a reasonable starting point for conversion. When a client asks us to evaluate an existing building for critical load, we survey the structure, the roof, the electrical service and the floor-to-floor height before the owner commits to a timeline.
The scope inside the fence
A data center scope has four parts. The first is the site, including grading, drainage, security fencing and a perimeter that supports controlled access. The second is the shell, typically precast, tilt-up or steel, chosen for speed and roof loading. The third is the power and cooling infrastructure: generators, switchgear, UPS rooms, cooling plant and distribution. The fourth is the fit-out of the white space, which may be owner-supplied or may follow the shell on a separate release. We offer shell types such as tilt-wall buildings and pre-engineered metal buildings when the program supports them.
Security and fire protection are woven into the scope: access control, perimeter detection, pre-action or clean agent suppression and early warning smoke detection. We coordinate each with the authority having jurisdiction. If the facility will also host offices and a network operations center, those spaces follow standard commercial criteria, and we keep them separate from the white space so that the construction crews and trades do not cross sensitive areas.
Energized work and commissioning discipline
Data center projects often involve working next to live equipment. We use written work plans for any task near energized gear, require qualified electrical personnel for switching and apply lockout and tagout procedures that match the owner's standard. Hot work permits and fire watch are routine on projects with pre-action systems, since a false discharge during construction can damage equipment.
Commissioning is a safety exercise as well as a performance one. Load bank testing, transfer tests and failure simulations should be run according to a script that the owner and the engineer have approved, with clear stop conditions. We maintain the test records and hand them over as part of the turnover package, along with the as-built drawings and the operation and maintenance manuals. Those records are what an auditor or insurer will ask for later. For clients in the data center sector and those linked to utilities and power, this documentation is part of the contract, not an afterthought.
What moves a data center number
The price is dominated by the electrical and mechanical systems, not the building. Generators, switchgear, UPS systems and cooling plant make up the largest share of the cost, and their prices move with commodity and lead-time conditions. The shell, site work and fit-out follow. We make this visible by separating the owner-furnished, contractor-installed items, and by tracking lead times and quoted validity on each long-lead item. HB22-1362 sets the energy code floor for jurisdictions that update their building code on or after July 1, 2023, which affects envelope and mechanical choices in the shell and office areas.
Renewable supply is also part of some owners' plans. The 30 megawatt Alamosa Solar Generating Project near Alamosa entered commercial operation on May 10, 2012, supplying customers of Public Service Company of Colorado, and shows how utility-scale solar already reaches the grid in the state. Owners who want on-site generation or storage should raise it at the start so the yard layout and interconnect studies are sized for it.
Start with the megawatt and the interconnect date
Send the critical load, the redundancy target and the utility energization date. We will map the power path, the long-lead gear and the structure against those dates and show you what controls the schedule.
Common Questions
What controls a data center schedule most often?
Utility energization and the delivery of switchgear, transformers and generators. A shell can be finished long before power is available, so we release those orders during preconstruction and track them weekly. We also build the electrical yard and duct banks early, so the site is ready when the equipment arrives.
How should we think about hail on a data center roof?
As an operational risk. Denver ranks 10th among U.S. areas of at least 50,000 people for hailstorm risk, so rooftop equipment and membranes should be selected with that in mind. We specify screens and impact-rated products and discuss the insurance and warranty position with the owner during design.
Can you convert an existing building into a data center?
It depends on the structure, roof, power and cooling capacity. We survey the building to confirm floor loading, clear height and the available utility service, then give you a list of required upgrades. Some buildings need a new electrical service, a new roof or a reinforced floor, and we price those before you decide.
Does altitude affect cooling design?
Yes. Air-cooled equipment loses capacity at higher elevations, and Colorado sites range from Denver at 5,280 feet to much higher in the mountains. The mechanical engineer should apply the correct derating, and we confirm the site elevation at the outset.