Charlestown Bans Data Centers, Battery Storage Facilities
Charlestown, Rhode Island, town officials unanimously approved a municipal-wide ban on data centers and battery energy storage projects. This decision makes Charlestown the second municipality in the state to ban data centers, following similar actions in Smithfield, and was driven by concerns over land use, electricity, and water consumption.
The Charlestown Town Council in Rhode Island has unanimously enacted a municipal-wide ban on data centers and battery energy storage projects. This makes Charlestown the second town in the state to ban data centers, a move made without public comment or significant controversy, following an ordinance unanimously backed by the Planning Commission.
The ban, sponsored by council member Bonnie Van Slyke, was prompted by growing controversies in other Rhode Island communities like Quonset and Smithfield, despite no current proposals for such projects in Charlestown itself. Van Slyke cited concerns about data centers' high consumption of land, electricity, and water for cooling systems. The town of Smithfield previously banned similar developments after public outcry regarding a proposed business park with a data center by Revity Energy LLC.
The ordinance also targets battery energy storage systems, with council president Deborah Carney introducing that part of the ban due to constituent safety concerns. These systems, like a 208-MW facility proposed by Green Development LLC in North Kingstown's Quonset Business Park, have raised public ire over safety and siting processes. While battery fires are rare, the public perceives risks from lithium-ion batteries. Overall, the ban reflects a growing trend among Rhode Island communities to proactively regulate or halt large-scale energy and data infrastructure developments.