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Residents urge county to adopt guardrails for hyperscale data centers
Summary
During public comment, residents urged New Castle County Council to pass ordinance 25-101 to limit large 'hyperscale' data centers, citing concerns about generator counts and power usage far exceeding existing facilities.
Speakers during the Feb. 10 public comment period urged the county to adopt stronger controls on large data center projects, describing a contrast between existing facilities and the "hyperscale" projects that can require vastly greater power and on‑site generation.
Dale Swain, speaking online, said the largest current data centers in the county use about 7.8 megawatts and have interior generators, while the proposed hyperscale projects (he referenced "Project Washington" in a recent coastal zone decision) involve hundreds of diesel generators and demand on the order of 1,200 megawatts. "The comparison between existing data centers and the hyperscale is huge difference," Swain said and urged passage of ordinance 25‑101 so the county can put guardrails in place.
Another commenter, Dora Williams, supported council action and urged officials to do "the right thing" for residents facing rising bills and other hardships.
Speakers framed the issue as one of balancing job and economic benefits with protections for residential communities and county infrastructure. The council did not take formal action on ordinance 25‑101 at this meeting; the public comment was advisory.
