Posted on May 3, 2024
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/Qyg-yvYj1lM
HARTFORD- An amendment proposed by State Rep. Holly Cheeseman (R-37) to study data centers in Connecticut was defeated on Wednesday in the House of Representatives on a party line vote.
The amendment LCO 5118 would have required, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, in consultation with the Office of Consumer Counsel, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the regional independent system operator ISO England to study and evaluate the impact of large data centers on electric distribution system reliability.
This was a stand-alone bill SB-299 that received overwhelming support in the Energy and Technology Committee on a 15-4 vote.
The bill calls for a pause on any data center in the state until a study can be completed on whether Connecticut’s electric grid is reliable for the power necessary to run a large-scale data center.
“I am extremely disappointed the amendment was not viewed as friendly by the majority party. Sooner or later, Connecticut must study these large-scale data centers and the effect on our electric power grid. Reliability of our electric grid is something we must be diligent about, as emerging data centers sites are sought,” said Rep. Cheeseman, a member of the Energy and Technology committee.
This year, Rep. Cheeseman along with the neighbors and the Concerned Citizens of Waterford and East Lyme called for a pause on any data center in the state until a study can be completed on whether Connecticut’s electric grid is reliable for the power necessary to run a large-scale data center.
The NE Edge, the data center project would enable it to buy power directly from Millstone owner Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut. Currently, the NE Edge project is at a standstill after a January decision by the state Siting Council to deny Dominion a boundary change it would need to proceed with the project.
Cheeseman will continue to advocate for prudent measures to study these data centers.