Data center fees, special trust, sod tax could help raise $20B to protect water supply in Colorado

<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="A flat-bed trailer, covered by a canopy, holds many large rolls of sod." decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw – 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="451575" data-permalink="https://coloradosun.com/img_3938/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/newspack-coloradosun.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/IMG_3938-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_3938" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

Giant rolls of sod wait on July 16, 2025, to be unloaded at Pioneer Elementary School in Lafayette, Colorado, where ball fields, a track and playground were renovated. (Dana Coffield, The Colorado Sun)

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Severance tax revenue from energy production has too many ups and downs to stand alone as a reliable source to pay for infrastructure and access to water, new task force report finds