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Commissioners flag state bills affecting data‑center energy use and reporting
Summary
Members discussed several state bills that would require AI and data centers to use clean energy sources and submit semi‑annual energy and water usage reports to the Board of Public Utilities; commissioners said the measures are worth monitoring for local planning and capacity impacts.
Franklin Township’s Environmental Commission reviewed state legislation that would impose clean‑energy and reporting requirements on proposed AI and data centers.
A committee member summarized three bills under consideration, including one that would require proposed artificial‑intelligence data centers to submit an energy‑usage plan and derive electricity from clean sources such as solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal or advanced nuclear. Another measure (discussed as S‑3379 in the meeting) would require operators to file detailed reports on energy and water use with the Board of Public Utilities twice a year for three years.
Commissioners said the bills could affect local planning if large facilities are proposed, particularly because grid capacity and water use were raised as local concerns during Canal Walk solar feasibility discussions. One commissioner said the bills aim to prevent taxpayers from bearing the cost of new facilities’ power demand and to ensure transparency through reporting.
The commission agreed to monitor the measures as they progress through the state legislature and to flag potential implications for municipal planning and utility capacity if a large data‑center application comes before local boards.
