Rochester enacts new ordinance on data centers
Residents of Rochester, NH, recently attended a public meeting to discuss a new ordinance concerning data centers, voicing concerns over water usage, energy consumption, and environmental impacts. Following the meeting, the city enacted an ordinance that restricts data centers to a recycling industrial district and requires a conditional use permit for construction within that zone.
Rochester, N.H. residents participated in a public meeting on Tuesday evening to deliberate a proposed ordinance aimed at redefining data centers and regulating their permissible construction locations within the city.
Mayor Chuck Grassie and numerous residents raised concerns regarding the potential environmental impacts, including significant water usage and energy consumption, that data centers could impose on the area. A considerable number of attendees voiced their opposition to the establishment of these facilities in town.
Following the extensive public discussion, the ordinance was formally enacted. It effectively prohibits data centers from all zoning districts in Rochester, with the sole exception of the recycling industrial district. Even within this designated district, any proposed data center development would necessitate obtaining a conditional use permit.