AI Data Center Paused Amid Uproar in Nottingham
A proposed data center project in Nottingham, New Hampshire, has been paused after its developer, Tom Moulton, withdrew his application following significant community opposition and a large protest. Residents expressed concerns about the environmental impact, including high water and electricity consumption. State-level legislative efforts to grant local communities more authority over data center zoning were recently rejected.
Developer Tom Moulton has withdrawn his application for a proposed data center on Route 4 in Nottingham, New Hampshire, in response to widespread community opposition. Hundreds of residents, including local politicians and activists, gathered outside the Nottingham School to protest the development, leading Moulton to announce his decision in a statement read by Planning Board Chair Drew Stevens.
While Moulton indicated he might revisit the proposal in the future after further research, residents voiced strong concerns about the environmental impact of data centers, specifically their massive water and electricity consumption. Neighboring Northwood Representative Scott Byer (R) also expressed opposition to data centers in his town. The article highlights that current New Hampshire law lacks a state definition for data centers, preventing municipalities from creating local zoning ordinances to regulate such projects. A legislative effort to grant this authority to local communities was rejected in the Senate earlier this year.