Nottingham data center proposal withdrawn amid outcry
A proposed data center in Nottingham, New Hampshire, was withdrawn by applicant Tom Moulton following significant public outcry, including an online petition and protests. Residents expressed concerns about the project's impact on local water supplies, electricity costs, and the broader implications of AI expansion. State legislators are now discussing the need for future statewide regulations on data center development, as a previous bill was tabled.
Businessman Tom Moulton withdrew his preliminary application for a data center in Nottingham, N.H., after facing substantial public opposition. The proposal, intended for Moulton's property in the Nottingham Business Park, garnered thousands of signatures on an online petition and prompted protests from residents concerned about its environmental and economic impacts.
Nottingham residents, most of whom rely on private wells, voiced worries about the data center's potential to strain local water supplies, citing its high water usage for cooling systems. Concerns were also raised regarding increased electricity costs for ratepayers and the broader, unregulated expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Moulton, who stated he had no client in mind for the center, expressed surprise at the backlash and said he withdrew the application without prejudice to conduct further research.
Following the withdrawal, local elected officials, including State Representatives Scott Bryer and Paul Tudor, affirmed that their constituents overwhelmingly opposed the data center. Rep. Tudor suggested that data centers should be regulated at the state level through changes to state law or rulemaking by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, particularly concerning water usage and potential chemical discharge. He proposed restricting such centers to areas with municipal water and sewer systems.
Previously, a bill to establish data center-specific regulations, introduced by Sen. Debra Altschiller, was tabled by the House of Representatives after a divisive amendment aimed at limiting local regulatory control. Sen. Howard Pearl emphasized the need for a balance between fostering digital infrastructure growth and protecting ratepayers from high energy costs, advocating for private investment in energy infrastructure alongside data center development.