New Hampshire activists and politicians target data center development, propose moratorium
After successfully stalling a landfill project in Dalton, New Hampshire, local activists and politicians are now shifting their focus to data center development. Former Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington has proposed a statewide moratorium on data centers, making it a key issue in the gubernatorial campaign against incumbent Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte celebrated the signing of House Bill 707 at Forest Lake State Park in Dalton, fulfilling a campaign promise to prevent a landfill in the area. The new legislation establishes a seven-member solid waste site evaluation committee and effectively bars new landfill permits until at least July 2027 or until new rules are adopted.
The bill's signing marks a significant victory for local residents and groups like Save Forest Lake and the North Country Alliance for Balanced Change (NCABC), who have opposed Casella Waste Systems' proposed landfill since 2018. Casella's subsidiary, Granite State Landfill, had a permit denied by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services and subsequently lost a lawsuit challenging the denial, leading to the withdrawal of a key wetland permit application.
Following the resolution of the landfill dispute, opponents of large-scale development have identified data centers as their next focus for political activism. Cinde Warmington, Governor Ayotte's Democratic opponent in the upcoming election, has called for a statewide moratorium on data center development, criticizing Ayotte for not championing similar legislation. This signals that data center regulation is emerging as a significant issue in the state's political landscape.