New Castle County approves its second data center rule, as public sentiment turns
The New Castle County Council approved an ordinance requiring developers of large energy-use facilities, including data centers, to demonstrate adequate electricity and transmission capacity before construction. The rule does not apply retroactively, while pending data center proposals remain stalled amid resident opposition and regulatory concerns; Dover separately approved a construction moratorium.
The New Castle County Council overwhelmingly approved a second ordinance regulating data centers, subject to approval by County Executive Marcus Henry. The measure requires developers of large energy-use facilities to prove that sufficient electricity and transmission infrastructure exists before receiving approval, with Councilman Dave Carter saying it is intended to protect households and businesses from higher power bills.
The ordinance will not affect proposals already in the county’s approval pipeline, many of which have been stalled by resident opposition and state regulations. The action followed Delaware’s adoption of statewide requirements for large energy users and came one day after Dover approved a moratorium on data center construction. The new rule follows earlier county regulations covering issues such as buffer zones and energy-efficient backup generators.