Data center pauses are spreading in Connecticut. A statewide moratorium could be next
Several Connecticut communities have paused or stopped approving data center projects, amid resident concerns about electricity, water, infrastructure costs and noise. State Sen. Bob Duff is developing a proposal for the 2027 legislative session that could impose a statewide data center moratorium while lawmakers study potential regulations.
Data center development has been paused or restricted in several Connecticut communities, including Beacon Falls, where a property on Lopus Road has twice been targeted for development. Haddam officials have also floated a data center at the former Connecticut Yankee nuclear plant site, though the town’s first selectman said the proposal is unlikely.
State Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said he is working on a proposal for the Connecticut General Assembly to examine data centers’ effects on electricity, water, infrastructure costs and noise. Duff said a statewide moratorium could be an initial step before lawmakers establish rules, while House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, criticized a full moratorium as politically motivated but said bipartisan support for statewide regulation may be possible.