Developer takes questions on planned Cromwell data center
Developer Bob Foxen defended a planned data center on Geer Street in Cromwell, saying fuel-cell power generation, setbacks, farmland preservation and noise controls would limit its impacts. The project faces public backlash because of its proximity to a school, while a proposed town moratorium was voted down and site plan approval remains subject to further studies and mitigation.
Developer Bob Foxen told WFSB that the proposed Cromwell data center would use fuel cells supplied by existing gas pipelines to generate power on site. He said the equipment would be placed toward the rear of the property, at least about 1,500 feet from the nearby school, with 35 acres and additional land along Geer Street preserved as farmland or open space. Foxen also cited an estimated $8 million in annual municipal host-fee payments and said residents could eventually receive free electricity through an energy services company.
The project has drawn growing opposition from residents concerned about noise, visibility, neighborhood disruption and the facility’s proximity to the school. Foxen said acoustic studies would be required and that the design would have to be changed or receive additional sound barriers and equipment enclosures if it failed town or state standards. He acknowledged that investors are waiting amid the controversy and said the project might ultimately not be worth pursuing, while defending his decision to continue after a proposed moratorium was voted down.