New Hampshire Lawmakers Propose Alternative to Statewide Data Center Moratorium
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte has proposed a statewide data center moratorium due to concerns about electricity costs. However, an alternative solution, House Bill 672, already exists to allow data centers to provide their own off-grid power without impacting ratepayers. Proponents argue this law should be promoted instead of a moratorium to attract investment.
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte has raised concerns about the electricity demands of hyperscale data centers, proposing a statewide moratorium to prevent increased costs for existing ratepayers. However, Michael Vose, former chair of the N.H. House Science, Technology, & Energy Committee and sponsor of House Bill 672, along with Glen Lyons, founder of Advocates for Consumer Regulated Electricity, argue that the state already has a solution.
HB 672, signed into law by Governor Ayotte last year, enables off-grid electricity providers to generate and sell power directly to customers, such as data centers, without connecting to the existing electric grid. This mechanism allows large power users to meet their own energy needs, thus avoiding new obligations for New Hampshire ratepayers or the regional power system.
Advocates for HB 672 contend that the law positions New Hampshire to attract energy-intensive businesses, including advanced manufacturing, computing, and biomedical research facilities, by offering a path to abundant power that doesn't burden existing utility customers. They propose that state economic development officials should actively promote HB 672 as an alternative to a moratorium, citing a rumored data center project in Bow with a potential 350-megawatt interconnection to Granite Shore Power as an example where this off-grid solution could be explored.
Vose and Lyons emphasize that while local impacts like land use, water, and noise should be addressed at the local level, concerns over electricity supply are not a valid reason for a statewide moratorium, given the existing legal framework provided by HB 672.