Why Should Delaware Care?
A boom in the construction of data centers to power the artificial intelligence industry has sparked a nationwide backlash over fears that the facilities’ electricity use could cause power bills to surge. In Delaware, the backlash has centered most recently around Kent County where residents have called for moratoriums and even outright bans on data centers.
About 100 people crammed into a Harrington Public Library meeting room on Monday for a city council meeting discussing the future of data centers in the Kent County municipality.
The crowd spilled into the hallway and out the back door, many wearing stickers that said “No data center.”
It was the largest showing at the small city’s council meeting in at least six years, Assistant City Manager Amanda Marlow said.
When attorney Max Walton asked the crowd who was against a proposed rule change that would allow data centers in the city, every resident in the room raised their hand.
“It’s really a shame that you guys would even consider a cute town like this to have a horrible data center,” Harrington resident Ardyn Overko said during the hour-long public comment period.
At issue during the council meeting was a measure to change the city’s zoning code to allow data centers in manufacturing areas. Developer Maguire Hayden requested the change so it could build a data center on the site of a former cold storage warehouse. The proposed facility would use 24 megawatts of energy — or about the same as 20,000 homes.
Ultimately, the council voted unanimously against the zoning change, prompting cheers and a standing ovation. Also eliciting support from the crowd was a call from Vice Mayor Darrin Simpson for a ban on data centers in the city, although the council did not discuss that measure further.
The council’s denial of the zoning change came after the developer behind the proposal offered the city of about 4,000 people contributions totaling $1 million, according to a summary of a proposed community benefits agreement.
The offer was particularly striking because historically in Delaware, governments have offered money to companies to attract them, rather than the other way around.
But, for the case in Harrington, the proposal came amid rising opposition to data centers across the county, which has made it more difficult for developers to find sites to build the sought-after facilities.
Following Harrington’s vote, the developer’s attorney, John Paradee, said the team does not have any additional plans for the site and may have to return it to the bank.
Opposition across Delaware
Developers in Delaware have proposed several data centers over the past year, mostly in New Castle County.
Proponents argue that the facilities, which are the backbone of the booming artificial intelligence industry, would bring construction jobs and tax revenue to places that desperately need it.
Despite those arguments, when data center proposals come before elected bodies, local residents have made passionate pleas to officials to reject them. Many cite concerns about the impact they could have on electricity bills and the local environment.
“Just say no!” Harrington residents shouted repeatedly during the meeting.
Communities across the country have also opposed data center development, just as tech companies race to build the massive energy-hungry facilities needed to train and operate their artificial intelligence technologies.
Over the past year, the Delaware legislature passed several laws to try to ensure data centers do not raise energy bills. New Castle County Council also passed other regulations aimed at preventing environmental harm.
The flurry of regulations continued last month when Kent County Levy Court passed regulations similar to New Castle County’s.
In nearby Dover, city leaders also advanced a proposed moratorium on data centers earlier this month in order to writing updated zoning regulations to address the industry.
