Apparently, the new code word for those privacy stealing, energy sucking, deafening data centers is “facility.” OK, so what, exactly, are these facilities/data centers? Without getting too techy, “Data Center” refers to a physical building where high-powered computers (usually thousands of them) are stored. They operate 24/7, using servers, storage and networking gear. This includes the heavy-duty cooling, backup power and physical security required to keep them running. It is software running all this, spreading out the workload, identifying failures and managing security. Send an email, use a credit/debit card at checkouts, stream a show, back up a photo or ask an AI a question, somewhere a data center is doing the work, sending it back almost instantly. As for building size, think your average Walmart Supercenter or Costco, roughly 100,000 square feet. A little history as these facilities have been around for a while. In 1945, the first one held the world’s first programmable computer, used to calculate US Army artillery fire during World War II. Other early data centers ran databases, email and web hosting, using a small amount of power that varied throughout the day. OK, doesn’t sound so bad. The down side? They initially bring infrastructure and construction work along with tax revenue but they also heavily depend on electricity, water and land. This is due to modern data centers processing larger amounts of information. An average AI data center can annually consume as much electricity as 100,000 homes do. These facilities now use about 4.4% of electricity, projected to reach 12% by 2028. They have large air conditioning units, fans and chilled water pipes to cool the heat generating computers, which are constantly running. Does that now mean humans have to compete with machines for water supply? Other states have discovered data centers initially bring economic benefits but also significantly impacts communities with large electricity and water usage. And for what? What is that gathered information used for? Information about who? About what? Which brings us to Bow, New Hampshire . . . The latest target for a privacy stealing, energy sucking, deafening data center, Bow has a total of 28.5 square miles, 28.2 of it being land and the remaining 0.39 square miles is water. There are also a little over 8,200 inhabitants. The town is now being looked at as a possible site for a new data center. Earlier this year, the town of Nottingham (pop. 5,300) fought back against a proposal to bring a 40 acre data center there. Widespread opposition from community members concerned about its potential impact on the electric grid and the local watershed, led to an online petition opposing the facility (garnering more than 20,000 signatures) and protestors ready to peacefully use their voices in opposition. Both Gov. Ayotte and gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington have called for a moratorium on these facilities. But not all elected officials feel the same way. SB 439 sponsored by Sen. Debra Altschiller, Stratham-D, sought to establish statewide requirements for developing data centers. Additionally limiting them to commercial and industrial zones, establishing requirements such as setbacks and noise pollution limits and enabling towns to further regulate data centers with their own local zoning rules. The bill also required prospective developers to give written proof from the electric utility serving the site that there was, or would soon be, ample grid capacity in the area to serve the data center. A Free Stater amendment to the bill removed many of those requirements, leaving it, in Sen. Altschiller’s words, “a shell”. Rep. David Fracht, Enfield-D, noted, “. . .it lacks standards for heat production, for noise, for all sorts of environmental effects that would be an imposition upon the lives of people who are either living in the district, if it’s allowed ‘by right,’ or even in a neighboring residential district.” Free Stater Reps. Diane Pauer and Keith Ammon, on the Municipal and County Government Committee, brought the amendment that would prevent towns from regulating data centers in a manner “more restrictive” than other uses allowed in the same district. The bill would also make data centers a permitted land use “by right” in commercially or industrially zoned areas. So much for local control. On May 14th, Rep. Ammon made a motion in the House to table the bill. The motion passed. We’ll see what next year brings. In the meantime, citizens of Bow, stay vigilant, protest peacefully when issues call for such and be sure to vote for candidates with your and your towns best interests in mind on Nov. 3rd!