Dover, Delaware, is moving closer to temporarily halting new data center proposals as officials weigh whether the rapidly expanding industry could put too much pressure on the city's power grid, water systems, and land.
Here's what to know
The proposal advanced when a Dover City Council committee unanimously backed an ordinance that would suspend the "acceptance, processing, review, approval and issuance of permits" for new data centers, Spotlight Delaware reported. The pause could last as long as 18 months while the city carries out what it calls a "comprehensive review" of possible impacts.
Councilwoman Donyale Hall told Spotlight Delaware that, after making language changes suggested by staff, she expects to bring a final version to the full City Council by September.
Hall and Dover electric director Paul Waddell said the city needs a better understanding of how data centers might affect the electric grid and other utility systems before more development is allowed.
The debate in Dover is a part of a trend happening across Delaware as developer interest in data centers increases. Because the facilities can require enormous amounts of electricity and water, communities are raising questions about whether existing infrastructure can handle them.
New Castle and Kent counties have already adopted rules governing where data centers can go in unincorporated areas. But Dover appears positioned to become the first municipality in Delaware to weigh a temporary halt to project reviews.
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If the ordinance is approved, Dover could also become the first jurisdiction in Delaware to put this kind of temporary ban in place.
More background
Those concerns about supplying electricity for data centers carry added weight in Dover, where residents are already facing higher electric bills. While a community solar project is helping some people, there's still more work to do.
City officials have allegedly been approached about at least one smaller-scale data center proposal, but Spotlight Delaware stated that local leaders have not released further details.
Public comment at the committee meeting was mostly in favor of the pause. Dover resident Bill Faust said he supports slowing things down so the city does not "create another monster" by overloading electricity and water systems, as Spotlight Delaware relayed.
A local economic development official warned against allowing the moratorium to last too long.
The executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership, Linda Parkowski, said, "We don't want to send a signal out that we're not open for business, and that could be how this is interpreted."
What's being done?
Dover's proposed moratorium is helping place guardrails around an industry that is expanding faster than many local zoning rules and utilities were built to accommodate.
Kent County's new rules require things like 300 feet of distance between data centers and residents, a noise limit, and written statements from water and electric providers explaining how projects would affect infrastructure.
County officials are also weighing whether an outright ban would be legally defensible.
New Castle County put similar requirements in place after months of public conflict over a controversial project near Delaware City.
Hall said the proposed pause is intended to create time for study, not to permanently block data centers.
"This is not about closing Dover's doors to data centers," she said. "It's about making sure that before we open that door, we understand what is on the other side."
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