East Lyme zoning commission bans data centers
East Lyme's Zoning Commission voted unanimously to prohibit traditional and artificial-intelligence data centers, as well as related data center facilities. Town officials cited concerns about potential impacts on water supplies, power demand, noise and nearby residents, despite there being no current data center proposals in town.
The East Lyme Zoning Commission unanimously voted to ban data centers and data center accessories in the shoreline Connecticut town. The prohibition covers both conventional facilities and AI-focused data centers, filling a gap in the town's zoning regulations, which previously contained no specific rules for such developments.
Town leaders said they acted proactively as data center proposals increase across Connecticut and the country. Supporters of the ban pointed to potential demands on land, electricity and water, along with noise and quality-of-life impacts for nearby residents. Critics argued that a complete ban removes an economic development option and that the town should keep its options open until more is known about the industry; no specific data center proposal had been submitted in East Lyme.