A new Cheyenne data center intends to rely for power on a Wyoming mainstay - the persistent wind.

Green House Data president Shawn Mills said a 10,000-square-foot prototype facility will be launched in 2,000-square-foot increments at a cost of between $1,000 and $1,500 per square foot.

The center, located at Progress Circle and Campstool Road, is expected to open in March. Even now, Mills said the company is lining up clients and collecting revenue.

Data centers are highly secure facilities for hosting Web servers and for storing information.

Mills said Green House Data has several wind-generated power options in the short term.

Cheyenne, Light, Fuel and Power has agreed to buy 30 megawatts of wind power from Austin, Tex.-based Tierra Energy for 20 years. Tierra's wind farm will be built on city-owned land adjacent to the Happy Jack Landfill.

Green House Data also is exploring the possibility of buying power from TMA Global Wind Energy Systems, or purchasing green "e-tags."

Eventually, Green House Data hopes to generate its own power, he said.

In addition to relying on renewable energy, Mills said the company will use its energy as efficiently as possible, which will result in competitive costs for clients.

When planning the data center, Mills said "it quickly became apparent that the energy is one of the top three costs on the balance sheet."

Data centers use large amounts of electricity, he noted, estimated at 1.5 percent of all the electricity generated in the U.S.

"We need to cut down on our dependence on traditional coal-fired electrons and be environmentally friendly," Mills said.

A Green House Data press release says the center will be 40 percent to 60 percent more energy efficient than similarly sized data centers due to its water-side economizers, efficient IT structure and geothermal cooling systems.

Mills said the facility will be opened at a tier 2 standard, but will be upgraded to a tier 3 standard as circumstances warrant. Initially, Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power will provide one transformer, but the company intends to upgrade to a dual unit by the end of the year as it attracts clients who need the added reliability.

Wyoming will be the company's primary target market, while technology companies in Colorado comprise a secondary market.

"Socially responsible companies are finding us even before we market to them," Mills said.

Renewable energy is creating a buzz in the world of high tech, not least because of plans announced by search engine giant Google.

The company recently announced a major initiative to generate electricity from renewable sources that are cheaper than electricity produced from coal.

Google intends to spend tens of millions of dollars in 2008 on research and development, and on matters related to renewable energy.

As part of its capital planning process, Google also anticipates "investing hundreds of millions of dollars in breakthrough renewable energy projects which generate positive returns," according to a press release.

Business Editor Tom Mast can be reached at tom.mast@trib.com, or call 307-266-0574.