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Witnesses urge stronger limits for data centers on peak demand, water use and emissions
Summary
VPIRG and ANR witnesses told the committee H-7-27 should strengthen protections for grid capacity, require new renewables or equivalent offsets for large data-center loads, and ensure Act 250 and water-permit triggers close regulatory gaps; examples of backup-generator use and sudden load reductions were raised as cautionary evidence.
Lawmakers heard extended testimony April 24 on H-7-27, a bill aimed at governing large data-center projects and large electric loads. Ben Walsh of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group urged a precautionary approach, asking the committee to prioritize grid protections, near-zero climate pollution from new centers and strong oversight.
Walsh pointed to national examples where data centers sharply curtailed operations or relied on on-site fossil-fuel backup generation rather than grid interconnection. "I don't think we can count on the current regulatory framework ... when we're talking about an industry that…
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