New Hampshire Data Center Plans Face Proposed Restrictions and Moratorium
A former coal plant in Bow is being considered as a potential data center site, while New Hampshire lawmakers and Gov. Kelly Ayotte pursue restrictions and a possible statewide moratorium. Earlier proposals involving AI data centers largely failed to advance, but several legislators have requested help drafting new bills for the 2027 session.
A former coal-fired power plant in Bow, New Hampshire, is under preliminary consideration for conversion to a data center, according to town officials. The possibility has prompted state-level debate over how to regulate data center development and its impacts.
Several New Hampshire lawmakers and Gov. Kelly Ayotte have indicated they intend to pursue a statewide moratorium. Early filings for the 2027 legislative session show at least three incumbent lawmakers have asked the Office of Legislative Services to help draft data center-related bills after earlier proposals for restrictions and protections failed to make significant progress.