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Last Update: 10/27/2026 at 5:34 AM EST
New Hampshire Data Centers
Coverage from Seven Days, Fosters Daily Democrat, and others
Proposals for large data centers have raised questions in New Hampshire about local zoning, public input, and whether statewide rules or moratoria are needed.
In Nottingham, voters approved a one-year development pause to assess impacts and consider regulations; in Bow, early planning around a possible facility at the former Merrimack Station has brought grid connections and infrastructure needs into focus. Residents and officials weigh potential tax revenue against demands on electricity, water, land, and community quality of life. These local disputes also raise broader questions about who should bear grid costs and how municipalities can evaluate projects before approving them.
Looking Back
167 Day Timeline
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History
10/23/2026
A Nottingham data-center proposal was withdrawn after resident opposition, turning the debate into a concrete project outcome; statewide policy remains unresolved.
All Articles40 articles
Important
Morristown's selectboard unanimously approved a two-year moratorium on large data centers and other high-impact uses in Morristown, Vermont.
9/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Rochester City Council approved a Sept. 1 ordinance restricting data centers to an industrial zone amid concerns about electricity, water, and noise impacts in New Hampshire.
9/4/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Northpoint Engineering is seeking Concord Planning Board approval for a compact micro-data center at 52 Locke Road during a scheduled September 16 review.
9/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Interesting
New England residents and local officials have opposed or restricted data center development in multiple towns, while Bow, New Hampshire, debates a possible 350-megawatt facility at Merrimack Station.
10/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Bow residents and advocates protested preliminary plans for a hyperscale data center at Merrimack Station on September 22 in Bow, New Hampshire.
10/2/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Nottingham voters approved a 12-month data center moratorium Tuesday in New Hampshire to assess local, environmental, infrastructure, and fiscal impacts.
9/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte, legislators, and Bow officials are pursuing or considering data center moratoriums after a private company discussed a possible facility in Bow and a 350-megawatt interconnection study was filed for Merrimack Station.
9/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Rochester, New Hampshire, enacted a citywide data-center restriction Tuesday after residents and officials discussed water use, energy demand, environmental effects, and local approval requirements.
8/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Hampshire HB 1265 proposes a data-center construction prohibition and an environmental impact study committee, with a House Commerce and Consumer Affairs hearing set for 2/11/2026 at Granite Place.
6/29/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Bow residents opposed a possible data center at the former Merrimack Station site during a public meeting in Bow, New Hampshire, as Eversource assessed project viability.
9/23/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
New Hampshire candidates including Kelly Ayotte, Stefany Shaheen and Chris Pappas are opposing or seeking pauses on new AI data centers, including a proposed facility in Bow, before the state's primaries.
9/7/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Thomas Moulton canceled a Nottingham, New Hampshire, data center presentation after public opposition as rising AI workloads increase projected U.S. electricity demand.
8/7/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Residents and the Nottingham Planning Board opposed a proposed data center in Nottingham, New Hampshire, amid New Hampshire House and Senate debate over SB439.
6/13/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Robbie Mahrou discusses New Hampshire Senate Bill 439, arguing it would preempt local noise, water, and grid-capacity requirements for data center development.
5/19/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Nottingham residents approved a year-long data-center moratorium Tuesday in Nottingham, New Hampshire, directing the town to study impacts and develop zoning regulations.
9/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Nottingham, New Hampshire planning officials scheduled a June 3 meeting to address opposition to a proposed data center warehouse conversion after the applicant withdrew following public hearings.
6/6/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Tom Moulton seeks Nottingham Planning Board feedback for a proposed Old Turnpike Road data center as New Hampshire law limits municipal zoning guardrails.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
A New Hampshire House committee voted 11-9 to recommend amended Senate Bill 439, which would restrict town regulation and allow by-right data center permitting in commercial or industrial zones.
5/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Hampshire House committee recommended passage of an amended Senate Bill 439 on data-center zoning by-right rules after a party-line debate over energy, water, and environmental standards.
5/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Hampshire House committee recommended passage of an amended Senate Bill 439 data center zoning bill on May 5, limiting town restrictions despite Democratic objections over power, water, and environmental standards.
5/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte and state candidates are debating limits on data center development as state budget planning approaches, amid proposed projects in Bow and Nottingham.
10/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
New Hampshire legislators tabled Senate Bill 439 in the House on a 304-11 vote, ending state limits on local regulation of data centers for the session.
5/16/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
Eversource Energy is studying a potential 200-to-350-megawatt data center connection at Granite Shore Power's former Merrimack Station site in Bow, New Hampshire.
9/1/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Granite Shore Power filed in April for an Eversource study of connecting a potential 350-megawatt data center project at Merrimack Station in Bow, New Hampshire.
9/1/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Eversource Energy is studying a potential hyperscale data center connection after an April FERC filing involving Granite Shore Power in Bow, New Hampshire.
9/2/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • General
Rochester residents opposed a proposed zoning ordinance on August 18, while the City Council considered restricting data centers to a discouraging location before a September 1 vote.
8/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
New Hampshire officials and residents debate AI-driven data center expansion using UNH survey results on public support and concerns about electricity and cooling water needs.
7/22/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Nottingham, New Hampshire, residents opposed a Route 4 data center proposal, leading to withdrawal and a planned 12-month moratorium while zoning changes are developed.
6/4/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Tom Moulton withdrew a Nottingham, New Hampshire Route 4 data center application after hundreds protested a Planning Board meeting citing water and power impacts.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Tom Moulton is seeking land-use approval to convert a Nottingham warehouse into a data center, drawing opposition over water, wildlife, and energy cost concerns.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
New Hampshire Republican leaders will pursue a statewide AI data center moratorium during the next legislative session, responding to opposition and proposed facilities in Bow and East Concord.
9/18/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced Wednesday plans for a multiyear moratorium on data center development, including a proposed hyperscale project in Bow, citing energy and environmental concerns.
9/2/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
After residents opposed a 40-acre data center proposal last May, developer Tom Moulton withdrew it in Nottingham, New Hampshire, where voters later approved a 12-month moratorium.
10/5/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Tom Moulton is set to brief the Nottingham Planning Board on a concept-stage data center proposal on Old Turnpike Road in New Hampshire.
5/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • General
Granite Shore Power is exploring a possible 350-megawatt data center near Merrimack Station in Bow, New Hampshire, prompting debate over generation, environmental impacts, and local approvals.
9/2/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Additional
Tom Moulton withdrew a Nottingham Planning Board data-center conversion proposal on May 27 as water and electricity usage concerns fueled a regional opposition push in New Hampshire.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Nottingham Business Park LLC withdrew a proposed data center conceptual consultation in Nottingham, New Hampshire, hours before a relocated town meeting after resident opposition over environmental, noise, and water concerns.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • General
Kelly Ayotte told WMUR Close Up that New Hampshire should limit data-center by-right siting due to electricity price and ISO New England grid capacity concerns.
5/18/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte said Aug. 20 in Portsmouth that she supports a statewide data center moratorium, citing energy capacity and potential rate increases.
8/21/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte endorsed a statewide data-center moratorium in Portsmouth on Aug. 20, citing energy capacity, electricity prices, environmental concerns, and unsuitable locations.
8/20/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • General