Cromwell residents are organizing against a proposed data center on Geer Street, though the project has not yet entered formal review. The Planning & Zoning Commission rejected a proposed one-year pause on new data-center applications in September, and residents have also turned to online petitions and discussion.
Global Common, a Long Island-based developer, is considering a 159-acre assemblage off Geer Street, a site zoned for data centers by right and situated roughly midway between New York and Boston, according to the Hartford Courant. The proposal would include 1.2 million square feet of data center space near schools and parks. A group called Stop Cromwell CT Data Center has opposed the plan; its Reddit post drew 108 replies.
No Application Filed, But a Timeline Is Taking Shape
Mayor James Demetriades said no data center application had been submitted for the roughly 160-acre Geer Street property, according to the Courant. The project needs site plan approval rather than a zoning permit, and Global Common has indicated it plans to seek approval in early 2027. The application would then go through public hearings before the zoning and wetlands boards. The property previously hosted a sand-and-gravel trucking operation that the project would eliminate.
According to the Courant, Global Common says its first phase would provide about 40 megawatts of IT power within 18 to 21 months of an equipment deposit. At full build-out, the campus could exceed 300 megawatts of IT power within 26 to 32 months of equipment deposits, or be developed over several years. The developer says the finished project would occupy about one-third of the site, with open space preserved along Geer Street.
Fuel Cells and Pipelines Instead of the Grid
Rather than leaning heavily on the regional electrical grid, Global Common proposes a campus powered by on-site fuel cells fed by natural gas from three Enbridge interstate pipelines that cross the site. Those pipelines run in a single right-of-way directly across the project site, the Courant reported. A similar off-grid fuel cell approach is drawing resident opposition in Colchester, where Hoodline previously reported on pushback over an Old Amston Road data center, a piece that also noted Cromwell residents were separately fighting a data center over noise and energy concerns.
Moratorium Vote Fails After Hours of Public Comment
Homeowners sought a one-year moratorium on data center applications, but the Cromwell Planning & Zoning Commission voted 5-2 in September to reject Application #26-25, the proposed text amendment, according to Citizen Portal. Town records show Cromwell's zoning code has no distinct definition or specific regulations for data centers.
During the hearing, a resident asked for written confirmation from the local water authority, Citizen Portal reported. Residents also raised general concerns about data centers’ water demands. Moratorium opponents are now discussing whether to try again, according to the Courant, while petition sponsors have warned that a data center could irrevocably change the environment, health and property values in town, and residents have also organized an online petition specifically opposing a possible data center next to the town's middle school, as reported by The Hartford Courant.
A Statewide Debate Over Tax Breaks and Power Demand
Cromwell's fight is unfolding against a broader statewide push to attract data centers. Connecticut's Public Act 21-1, enacted in 2021, lets data center operators that invest at least $200 million, or $50 million in designated enterprise zones, qualify for 20- to 30-year exemptions from state sales taxes and local property taxes if they sign a host municipality fee agreement, according to Senate Republican leaders. During this year's legislative session, lawmakers considered Senate Bill 245 to repeal those tax exemptions and House Bill 5469 to require facilities over 50 megawatts to buy dedicated new power sources, but both bills died when the session adjourned on May 6, per Nearby Data Centers. The Office of Consumer Counsel raised concerns about shifting grid-upgrade costs to residential ratepayers.
Data Center Electricity Demand Is Expected to Grow
A 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report estimated that data centers used about 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023 and could account for approximately 6.7% to 12% by 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That national projection provides context for the power-sourcing debate around proposals such as Cromwell’s; it is not an estimate of the proposed campus’s electricity use.
As of this month, Connecticut tracks 35 data center facilities across six counties statewide, with 25 active operating sites, one under construction and nine proposed developments, according to More Than Just Parks. New Haven County leads the state with 11 tracked facilities, followed by Fairfield County with 10 and Hartford County with six. Data centers are located near Stamford, Bristol and Dayville. Elsewhere in the state, a 100-megawatt facility planned for Beacon Falls has been advertised as coming soon despite having sought no state or local permits, the Courant noted, underscoring how far ahead of formal approvals some Connecticut data center marketing has moved.
