Earlier this month, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control denied a request from Starwood Digital Ventures to build a 1.2-gigawatt data center in Delaware City. Do you think the state should begin a moratorium on the development of such facilities until needed guardrails are in place? If not, where and under what conditions should officials allow the construction of them?
• Putting a hold on Data centers is not a smart move. Delaware wants jobs but wants to stop a new business that creates jobs. If the data centers can produce their own energy, why is it a problem? — John Drennan
• No proper guardrails, then no hyper-scale data centers. We need proper controls in place and make the data centers pay their own way on all electric costs including power, transmission upgrades and congestion costs. Until these are in place there should be a moratorium as several other states have or are pursuing. — Dale Swain
• They denied it because it was the logical thing to do. Where they wanted it would not support it both economically or environmentally as the only location they had was between Schoolhouse Road to the south and Hamburg Road to the north on the east side of (Routes) 1/13 and west side of 9. Just take that 1.2 gigawatts and throw it into the flux capacitor and call it good. — Kyle Hendrix
• It’s funny how building things like power plants and businesses like Walmart and Amazon will all proceed after environmental studies, but nothing for a huge data center. I’d be OK with under two conditions. First, if the environment won’t be affected and (secondly) they have to use their own electricity. They’re not allowed to use the public power grid. — Rick Kerchevall
• Not only can they not use the public power grid, they can not use the infrastructure if paid by the public and can not purchase public used power plants The local governments are not allowed to receive any cut backs, fundraising donation or any monetary incentives. They have to be completely out of earshot of any residential areas. No humming sound, lights, or heat, gasoline fumes, can affect any neighboring areas. No environmental impact on any surrounding residential neighborhoods. — Anna Vleugels
• OK, by typing this very question here gives you the answer. Anyone opposed, you giving up your phone? Did you make a cartoon AI? Use Chat GPT? Bank on your phone? Order Amazon? How are your medical records kept? See, all of this is driving data centers. Yes, we need to grow the electric grid. Yes they need to pay for it. The other choice is your data goes to China because they are building them and don’t care — Doug Poore
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
