Block data centers NOW
The recent article “Data Centers Draw Fire” alerted the public that the proposed data center on Locke Road in East Concord has already been validated for Industrial Zoning, and that residents want it blocked. It is a pilot project and will draw 15 megawatts of electricity from our grid, enough to power over 12,000 homes. It is not going to make its own solar energy. The experimental project will cool servers by submerging them in a dielectric fluid then, moving the hot fluid through heat exchangers to either on site uses or outdoor fans- no water needed. What exactly will this oily fluid be? How will it be disposed of? What happens if it spills, leaks or turns to a gas during an accident. The Locke Road site is near wetlands, and what will happen if it contaminates the water supply. The Planning Board meets on Nov. 18 to discuss the proposal.
Efforts in New Hampshire government to slow down the growth of data centers are just beginning. Nationally, Climate Hope Affiliates is championing the PRICE Act (Preventing Rate Inflation in Consumer Energy), HR 6983, and The Data Center Transparency Act, HR 6984, in the U.S. House. In the Senate, there is a companion bill, the Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act, S 5054. We should support these bills. by contacting our representatives. We should not let Concord build an experimental, 15 megawatt data center before pending state and federal legislation exists. It is too soon.