Trumbull’s lone data center, located at 80 Merritt Boulevard, is set to be upgraded to a high‑density, AI‑ready facility. The town’s council approved the conversion on Wednesday, even as Trumbull enacted a two‑year moratorium on the establishment of new data centers.
Local officials set conditions
First Selectwoman Vicki Tesoro wrote on the town’s website that she has spoken directly with representatives from 365 Data Centers and Aphorio Carter. She said the applicants agreed to four key limits: no increase in electrical draw beyond the existing site capacity, no increase in noise, no increase in water use, and no expansion of the building’s footprint.
“I told the applicant directly: no increase in electrical draw beyond existing site capacity, no increase in noise, no increase in water use, no expansion of the building’s footprint. They have agreed to all four,” Tesoro wrote.
Expert concerns about power and water use
Kenneth Gillingham, a professor of environmental and energy economics at the Yale School of the Environment, cautioned that AI‑ready facilities consume more power and water than traditional data centers. “This is going to be a small data center that probably will use more electricity than the previous one did,” Gillingham said. “That puts added pressure on our grid, especially during peak times.”
He added that Connecticut’s electricity rates are already high. “Our electricity rates are certainly high enough right now. And so, it would continue to exacerbate our high electricity rates,” Gillingham noted. “It’s not going to change anything immediately, but it provides pressure so that Eversource and UI are going to come back and have to pay higher supply rates. They’re going to have to pass on some of those costs to the consumers.”
Moratorium does not block the upgrade
The town’s moratorium applies only to the “establishment and development” of brand‑new data centers. It does not restrict upgrades to the existing facility, a point raised by resident Sherry Boyd, who said, “We have two years to learn and protect ourselves from what else might come, but it doesn’t protect us from what’s happening right now.”
Other Connecticut communities have adopted similar restrictions. Morris passed a two‑year moratorium in May, while Groton and West Haven enacted one‑year moratoriums.
Residents voice skepticism
Some Trumbull residents remain uneasy. Sarah Beck expressed concern that the town council has not asked enough questions. “We don’t feel that there have been enough questions asked, not enough information gathered. And because these technologies are so new, it’s hard to know what we don’t know about these data centers,” she said.
Richard White suggested a petition‑driven referendum as a possible check on future expansion. He estimated that roughly 2,400 signatures would be needed to trigger a vote, noting, “If we pull that off, then the town council has a choice: they can either accept our changes or we can have a referendum and the town can vote on it. And I suspect we would win.”
Potential future expansion
The current facility operates at about 15 megawatts, roughly the power usage of three large hospitals. Gillingham warned that the data center owner has “every incentive to expand.” He projected that, if AI data center growth continues nationwide, the operator may request increases to 20 or even 30 megawatts, putting further strain on the local grid.
Connecticut Public requested a copy of 365 Data Centers’ letter of intent for the Trumbull site. The company declined, citing confidentiality and the non‑binding nature of the document, and indicated no timeline for future public announcements.
What’s next?
The council will need to develop enforcement mechanisms for the agreed‑upon limits, and residents plan to monitor the facility’s performance closely. The outcome will likely shape how other Connecticut towns balance emerging AI infrastructure with community and environmental concerns.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
