Data centers have become a hot button topic across the country, and I have been doing a fair amount of research on them. I am not totally against having a data center in Fairfield County. However, there are specific requirements that a developer must meet based on my research.
Some background first. It is a fact that our current digital life requires the storage and transmission of data. The world has become addicted to smart phones, and they are “smart” because of the availability of data. Add to that all the streaming we do to watch our favorite TV shows. Streaming (using data) is quickly replacing cable TV services. According to a Grok AI search that took 65 seconds assessing 27 sources, there are approximately 5,000 data centers already here in the USA, with northern Virginia having the highest number of any state. Note that this search tapped into data stored in data centers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is accelerating the need for additional data centers. If you have never used an AI search tool like Grok or ChatGPT, it is impressive how quickly they scan through the world of information (data) and provide an answer to your question. Most of my questions are answered within 20 seconds after accessing and reviewing over 20 data sources. And AI is quickly becoming more powerful.
Second, consider which country should control that data. I personally don’t want ANY government controlling my life or the future lives of my grandchildren, but somebody will have control and influence over all this data. I prefer that to be the United States and not China. China has proven time and again their intention to bring us down as a nation. They invest heavily in anti-American activities and propaganda, and I do not want my grandchildren under the control and influence of a foreign communist regime.
With that background, this is what I would expect from a developer. The location must be in an industrial area away from any residential areas so there is no noise or light pollution issue for citizens. Any electrical grid upgrades needed to supply power to a data center must be paid for by the developer, and there must not be any rate increase forced on citizen rate payers for grid upgrades or new power generation capacity.
Also, advanced technology for cooling must be used – such as a closed loop water cooling system – to minimize the impact on our water resources. I would also expect the developer to properly decommission the facility whether it is before or after reaching its expected life. That means removing all the equipment and possibly the building if it cannot serve a future purpose.
But for me one of the largest benefits of having a data center located in Fairfield County is what is known as a Community Benefit Agreement. This agreement between the developer and county defines specific investments the developer will make in the community, in addition to the infrastructure investments mentioned earlier.
Mark Zuckerberg of Meta (Facebook) recently stated he is setting aside $1 billion to invest in communities where Meta operates data centers. The companies who will profit from building data centers are realizing they must include benefits for the local community.
This is my current position, but I am continuing to research this subject. Also, I am looking forward to hearing from you and your thoughts and concerns. We as a Council will be conducting town halls on this subject during the 12-month moratorium we just enacted. I am committed to doing what is best for the citizens of Fairfield County, and we may have an opportunity in the future to leverage the investment from a data center to provide needed benefits for our community.