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Committee raises alarm over Bocaom Road solar lease, considers moratorium on data centers
Summary
Members discussed TriTech Energy's lease and tree clearing on Bocaom Road and warned the parcel's access and utilities could make it suitable for a future data center; chair said she will research and seek a moratorium to allow zoning review.
Chair Linda told the committee that TriTech Energy leased 6.8 acres and that the energy company's holding company purchased roughly 27 acres of adjacent woodland; she said 6.8 acres have already been cleared for a solar installation. Linda warned the parcel's proximity to I-95, the Connecticut River water supply and an Eversource substation could make it attractive to data-center developers and said she will ask for a moratorium while the town updates zoning and review processes.
Members discussed the sequence of approvals (state siting council approval for the solar project) and voiced concern that a solar site could be a preliminary step to colocation or a larger data center on the broader parcel. The committee agreed to bring the issue to the zoning committee and to gather regulatory examples and moratorium language for upcoming meetings.
