Why Eversource is resisting surging interest in data centers coming to Connecticut

Eversource CEO Joe Nolan announced during the company's first-quarter earnings call on May 7 that the energy company is "resisting data centers" from establishing within Connecticut and its broader service territory. Nolan stated he is "not interested in a data center coming here," arguing that such developments provide "no value to our residential customer" and would only "drive up the price of energy." Jacob Lucas, Eversource's vice president of transmission and system planning, elaborated on the utility's concerns, explaining that data centers requiring 100 megawatts or more of power could lead to system overloads, higher costs for residential customers, and demand more electricity than generators can reliably provide. While Eversource, as New England's largest energy delivery company, cannot legally refuse service, its leadership is actively discouraging the influx of large data center projects into the state due to these grid and cost implications.