New Castle County council adopts data-center rules after heated debate and lengthy public comment

New Castle County Council on March 10 adopted Substitute No. 3 to Ordinance 25-101, a sweeping set of local standards for the review, siting and operation of hyperscale data centers, following hours of council debate, multiple floor amendments and extensive public comment.

The ordinance — sponsored by Councilman David Carter — was amended on the floor to clarify how pending applications are treated and to refine grandfathering language. Councilman Carter said the substitute strikes a balance between protecting neighborhoods and providing predictable rules for business, calling the effort “democracy at its best” and thanking the land-use staff for their work.

“The department has been working very closely on sub 3,” said David Carver, general manager of the Department of Land Use, adding that the department supports the amended substitute and that projects currently in review would remain subject to the processes they entered under. He warned, however, that some proposed changes could have the unintended effect of…