Climate
Privacy
Bob Dylan
Drones
Data Centers
AI Governance
2026 Maine Senate Race
Last Update: 08/01/2026 at 1:01 PM EST
Communities Challenge New Data Centers
Coverage from Business Insider, InDepthNH.org, and others
Articles
52
Active Days
80
The Topic
Proposed data centers in Nottingham, New Hampshire; Hallam, Nebraska; and Pennsylvania’s PAX-1 project are drawing scrutiny over water use, electricity demand, noise, land use, and the balance between local benefits and community costs. Nottingham’s proposal was withdrawn after intense public opposition, while Hallam’s project remains under review and PAX-1 continues toward construction amid appeals and criticism of political and financial ties. The disputes are also driving state-level debates over zoning authority, permitting, tax treatment, and how communities should evaluate large facilities.
First Article: 05/07/26
Latest Article: 07/25/26
Summary
- Nottingham, New Hampshire’s proposed data center was withdrawn after hundreds of residents protested and an opposition petition exceeded 25,000 signatures.
- Hallam, Nebraska’s proposed 35-megawatt facility is seeking a zoning change, with residents questioning projected water use, noise, traffic, and future expansion.
- Pennsylvania’s PAX-1 project targets 1.35 gigawatts across more than 500 acres and faces approval appeals, local opposition, and scrutiny of political connections.
- Water availability and drought conditions are recurring concerns, particularly in New Hampshire, where residents and commentators question whether local resources can support large facilities.
- Electricity demand is central to the debate, with opponents warning that major projects could require costly grid upgrades and affect ratepayers.
- State legislation in New Hampshire has become a proxy fight over whether municipalities can impose data-center-specific safeguards or block projects.
History
The main change is a sharper emphasis on formal approvals and legislative conflict: Hallam’s project is now framed as actively seeking a zoning change, and New Hampshire’s data-center fight is cast more explicitly as a proxy battle over municipal safeguards. The Pennsylvania PAX-1 scrutiny is also slightly sharpened by adding scale and financial-politics concerns.
The story now places greater emphasis on state policy fights and financial scrutiny, especially around New Hampshire’s zoning authority and the Pennsylvania PAX-1 land sale. It also adds clearer detail on how the Nottingham setback, Hallam objections, and Pennsylvania project scale are evolving.
Featured
05-27-2026
New Hampshire Data Center Developer Withdraws Plans Hours Before Opponents Were to Pack Town Meeting
Nottingham Business Park LLC withdrew a proposed data center conceptual consultation in Nottingham, New Hampshire, hours before a relocated town meeting after resident opposition over environmental, noise, and water concerns.
05-27-2026
Tom Moulton withdrew a Nottingham, New Hampshire Route 4 data center application after hundreds protested a Planning Board meeting citing water and power impacts.
07-10-2026
Pennsylvania Sen. Greg Rothman discusses the June 2025 PennTerra sale as PAX-1 data-center construction begins in Middlesex Township, drawing opposition in Cumberland County.
Timeline: 80 Days
Hover over any logo to see coverage summary, click for full article.
Additional Articles
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Sen. Greg Rothman and PAX-1 developers faced scrutiny after a 2025 property sale while a revised 2025 permitting bill for data centers stalled.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
DE-CLEAR-backed Delaware proposals include a large-load tariff and an NDA ban as House Bill 233 and Senate Bill 312 advance toward a June 30 deadline.
Vermont legislature passed H.727 on May 26, 2026, establishing regulations for 20MW+ data centers covering cost protections, fossil backup limits, on-site renewables, and water safeguards.
Monolith pursued Hallam, Nebraska permitting for a co-located 35-megawatt data center expansion and carbon black project, after residents raised concerns about water, noise, and zoning.
Massachusetts Senate passed S.3143 to require clean energy, water protections, and reporting for data centers while limiting tax incentives, amid local moratoriums in Holyoke and Western Massachusetts.
Delaware lawmakers advanced House Bill 233 and considered House Bill 445 to require data center power agreements and renewable generation as grid constraints rise.
Pennsylvania lawmakers advanced House bills on a data center sales tax break, with proposals to condition incentives or fully repeal them heading to the Senate.
New Hampshire legislators tabled Senate Bill 439 in the House on a 304-11 vote, ending state limits on local regulation of data centers for the session.
Pennsylvania state senator Greg Rothman and Pennsylvania Data Center Partners faced Cumberland County scrutiny after a $30 million PennTerra land sale for the PAX-1 data center project.
Delaware lawmakers introduced legislation to set higher electricity rates for data center-scale users and require commission oversight of grid connection agreements to protect ratepayers.
Pennsylvania lawmakers consider repealing a 6% sales tax exemption for data center equipment in 2021 as projects expand and projected revenue losses increase.
Delaware House passed HB 233 and HB 445 to require data centers to bear new grid and capacity costs and reach full energy needs within 10 years, sending both bills to the Senate.
Vermonts Legislature considers H.727 to regulate large data centers with a 20 MW threshold, cost-of-service equity contracts, and water and cooling requirements.
Delaware lawmakers advance a Public Service Commission approval requirement for 50+ megawatt energy service agreements tied to data centers, shifting transmission costs to new users.
⭐⭐⭐
Tom Moulton is seeking land-use approval to convert a Nottingham warehouse into a data center, drawing opposition over water, wildlife, and energy cost concerns.
Tom Moulton withdrew a Nottingham Planning Board data-center conversion proposal on May 27 as water and electricity usage concerns fueled a regional opposition push in New Hampshire.
Monolith hosted a July 23, 2026 Hallam, Nebraska town hall to seek zoning-change approval for a proposed 35 MW co-located data center amid water-use and local impact concerns.
Robbie Mahrou discusses New Hampshire Senate Bill 439, arguing it would preempt local noise, water, and grid-capacity requirements for data center development.
Residents and the Nottingham Planning Board opposed a proposed data center in Nottingham, New Hampshire, amid New Hampshire House and Senate debate over SB439.
New Hampshire officials and residents debate AI-driven data center expansion using UNH survey results on public support and concerns about electricity and cooling water needs.
Pennsylvania State Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver and Susquehanna River Basin Commission executive Andrew D. Dehoff plan a virtual July 22 session on data-center water demand review.
Delaware passed legislation in 2020s timeframe amending state code to bar nondisclosure agreements for large-scale data center proposals using 100 MW or more.
Tom Moulton is set to brief the Nottingham Planning Board on a concept-stage data center proposal on Old Turnpike Road in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire HB 1265 proposes a data-center construction prohibition and an environmental impact study committee, with a House Commerce and Consumer Affairs hearing set for 2/11/2026 at Granite Place.
Tom Moulton seeks Nottingham Planning Board feedback for a proposed Old Turnpike Road data center as New Hampshire law limits municipal zoning guardrails.
Pennsylvania lawmakers considered House-passed bills on data center energy and water disclosure, utility cost protections, and township ordinance standards, while Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman urged a broader approach.
New Hampshire House committee recommended passage of an amended Senate Bill 439 data center zoning bill on May 5, limiting town restrictions despite Democratic objections over power, water, and environmental standards.
New Hampshire House committee recommended passage of an amended Senate Bill 439 on data-center zoning by-right rules after a party-line debate over energy, water, and environmental standards.
Sen. Jarrett Coleman and Rep. Jamie Walsh introduced Pennsylvania bills to repeal the data center equipment tax exemption and allow municipal 18-month moratoriums on new applications.
Pennsylvania lawmakers in Harrisburg are considering data center siting rules, including a farmland block proposed by Rep. Marla Brown.
Hallam, Nebraska residents oppose Monolith's proposed data-center zoning change, citing impacts and requesting a moratorium ahead of an Aug. 19 vote.
A New Hampshire House committee voted 11-9 to recommend amended Senate Bill 439, which would restrict town regulation and allow by-right data center permitting in commercial or industrial zones.
Nottingham, New Hampshire planning officials scheduled a June 3 meeting to address opposition to a proposed data center warehouse conversion after the applicant withdrew following public hearings.
South Burlington holds a June 23 hearing on proposed zoning amendments defining data centers as Vermont weighs existing regulatory authority.
Rep. Kathleen James said Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of Vermont’s H.727 removed Act 250 and utility-contract oversight for 20 MW AI data centers.
In Vermont, advocates argued Gov. Phil Scott vetoed data center bill H.727 after Senate revisions added an energy transformation payment and left water-pollution concerns unresolved.
Pennsylvania lawmakers debate data center tax exemption changes during 2026 budget negotiations as a June 30 deadline approaches.
In Harrisburg, Sen. Tracy Pennycuick proposes Pennsylvania rules for closed-loop water, zoning meetings, and a Large Load Data Center Tariff to limit cost shifting.
Jamie Walsh and Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced bills in 2025 to repeal a 2021 data center equipment tax exemption and enable 18-month local moratoriums.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced GRID standards in February to regulate permitting for large-scale data center projects amid farmland preservation concerns, while Senator Katie Muth proposed a hyperscale moratorium.
Vermont lawmakers moved H.727 to Governor Scott after Senate and House approval, setting renewable and energy-demand payment requirements for large-scale data centers.
Governor Phil Scott vetoed Vermont H.727 on data center development after Senate approval 26-3 and near-unanimous House support, with a potential override in a future veto session.
Vermont Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee advanced H.727 on a 5-0 vote, adding ratepayer cost insulation and climate, backup generation, and water protections for data centers.
Vermont legislators passed H.727 in 2024 or 2020s timeframe, imposing ratepayer, climate investment, and grid participation requirements on proposed data centers.
VPIRG says Vermonts H.727 data center bill Senate version provides stronger ratepayer protections and restricts on-site fossil generator use except emergencies.
Pennsylvania proposes legislation to prevent data centers from obtaining public utility status, aiming to protect local zoning control and ratepayers amid rising energy costs and new builds.
Representative Joshua Kail circulated a June 24, 2026 memo for legislation to require special assessments on data center owners to pay property taxes of nearby seniors.
Kelly Ayotte told WMUR Close Up that New Hampshire should limit data-center by-right siting due to electricity price and ISO New England grid capacity concerns.
Senator Katie Muth in Pennsylvania proposed legislation limiting data centers from public utility classification and eminent domain, amid community opposition to 23 hyper-scale proposals.