Gordon calls for a moratorium, responsible oversight of data centers
State Senator Jeff Gordon has proposed a public policy plan addressing data center impacts on energy ratepayers, the environment, and local planning in Connecticut. The plan calls for a moratorium on data center development to allow for more public input and stakeholder learning. It also includes measures for energy ratepayer protection, a regulatory review process, and financial guarantees from data center companies.
State Senator Jeff Gordon (D-35th district) has unveiled a comprehensive public policy plan aimed at addressing the potential negative impacts of data center development across Connecticut. Gordon's district encompasses towns like Ashford, Chaplin, Coventry, and Tolland, and he is seeking re-election this November.
The core of his proposal is a call for an immediate moratorium on data center construction. This pause would allow policymakers, stakeholders, and the public to thoroughly evaluate the issues, provide input, and ask questions regarding data centers' effects on energy supplies, water usage, land requirements, infrastructure, and public safety.
Gordon also emphasizes the need for clear protections for energy ratepayers, arguing that current residents are already burdened by the state's affordability crisis. He suggests that data centers should either pay a separate, higher energy rate or be required to build their own on-site energy supplies to prevent increased costs from being passed on to consumers. Other components of his plan include establishing a robust regulatory review process, supporting local municipal decision-making, addressing emergency management and public safety concerns, and requiring appropriate financial guarantees from data center developers.
While acknowledging a 2021 Data Center Tax Incentive Program (Public Act 21-1) designed to attract such development, Gordon noted he was not a senator when it passed. He insists that given the evolving landscape, responsible oversight is crucial now "before it is too late and ratepayers, homeowners and our communities are affected."