CHEYENNE-- Officials with the National Science Foundation have approved a preliminary design for a planned climate-modeling supercomputer center at Cheyenne.

The approval means the National Center for Atmospheric Research-Wyoming employees can move forward with creating a complete design.

The facility will contain some of the world's most powerful supercomputers dedicated to improving scientific understanding of climate change, air quality, severe weather and other atmospheric science topics. Construction is expected to begin next year, with the total construction cost estimated at up to $70 million.

"We've been very confident that would be the outcome" of the panel's review, said Randy Bruns, chief executive at Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development corporation for Cheyenne and Laramie County. "But it's always a relief when you pass another one of these process points."

The approval keeps the project on schedule to open in 2011.

University of Wyoming trustees agreed in October to put up $750,000 for the final design. The money will come from the university operating budget.

The 24-acre, 100,000-square-foot facility will provide 20 to 30 new jobs, plus incentive for other economic development projects.

The completed project with federal-government-owned computing equipment is expected to cost more than $500 million.

The center is a partnership between NCAR, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the University of Wyoming, the state of Wyoming, Cheyenne LEADS, Laramie County, the Wyoming Business Council and Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power.