KENT COUNTY, Del. - As demand for artificial intelligence and cloud computing continues to grow, Kent County leaders are preparing for the possibility of data center development by drafting regulations aimed at addressing community concerns while allowing future investment.
The proposed ordinance would establish rules for where data centers can be built, how much noise they can generate and how developers must address their significant electricity demands before receiving approval.
Kent County Commissioner Jody Sweeney said county officials studied ordinances from other communities across the country before developing the proposal.
"We've looked at their ordinances in Lancaster County and in Loudoun County and across the nation," Sweeney said. "And we've come up with an ordinance that we think meets the concerns of the community."
One of the primary concerns county leaders hope to address is the large amount of electricity data centers require to operate. Sweeney said developers would be required to demonstrate they can meet their power needs without placing additional strain on the local electrical grid.
"The developer must say, we're either providing our own electricity or the local provider of electricity has enough to meet our needs without buying off the grid," Sweeney said. "So we want that certification before we move forward."
The ordinance would also restrict data centers to industrially zoned areas and establish noise standards intended to minimize impacts on nearby residents.
Sweeney said county officials recognize data centers are likely to become part of Kent County's future and want to ensure safeguards are in place before projects are proposed.
"This ordinance helps us address how we're going to bring data centers into Kent County, how we're going to let them in Kent County, and we know they're coming," Sweeney said. "We might as well figure out a way to let them in."
Meanwhile, leaders in Harrington are continuing to evaluate a potential data center project that has generated both interest and concern among residents.
Community members have raised questions about electricity consumption, water usage, noise pollution and the potential impact a large facility could have on nearby neighborhoods.
"We have general concerns about the electric usage, the water usage, just how it will affect the community," Harrington Mayor Frank Tolson said.
Tolson said city officials are gathering as much information as possible before making any decisions.
As part of that effort, city leaders are planning to visit an existing data center in Virginia to learn more about how the facilities operate and how they affect surrounding communities.
"We're talking to as many people as we can," Tolson said. "When we go to Virginia, we not only want to talk to the data center, but we want to hopefully contact some of the residents around it to see how it's affected them, what they think of it."
Tolson said city officials will continue working closely with Kent County as discussions move forward and will seek public input throughout the process.
The proposed Kent County ordinance is expected to continue through the public review process before county leaders consider a final vote.
