A decades-old data center in Trumbull could become one of the first AI data centers in Connecticut, despite the town passing a new 2-year moratorium on Wednesday.
Trumbull's only data center, located at 80 Merritt Blvd., is near a HVAC contractor business, child care center and forest. The facility has been in operation for more than 50 years and is expected to be converted into a "high density, AI-ready" data center, according to a press release from 365 Data Centers and Aphorio Carter, two companies evaluating the site.
Although Connecticut has several data centers, it does not have any known AI data centers, according to Kenneth Gillingham, professor of environmental and energy economics at Yale School of the Environment.
AI data centers have become a hot topic for voters across the country as demand for them has multiplied with the rise of artificial intelligence, and residents voice concerns about noise, potential lack of economic benefits, and energy and water use.
Gillingham said concerns about resources are valid, as AI data centers use more powerful processing units than regular data centers, making them more energy and water intensive.
"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.”
The potential upgrade in Trumbull won't turn the site into a large, hyperscale AI data center, which can be the size of several football fields.
“Our electricity rates are certainly high enough right now. And so, it would continue to exacerbate our high electricity rates," he said.
“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,” he said.
Connecticut Public requested a copy of 365 Data Centers’ letter of intent for the Trumbull site to learn more information about the AI upgrades. A representative from the company denied the request, stating the document is confidential and non-binding and that there is no timeframe for future public announcements.
Why Trumbull's data center is poised for AI upgrades despite new moratorium
Trumbull recently passed a 2-year moratorium on new data centers – which comes after several other communities in the state. The town of Morris also passed a 2-year moratorium on data centers in May, while Groton and West Haven passed 1-year moratoriums.
But Trumbull's moratorium only applies to the “establishment and development” of new data centers, not the proposed upgrades to the town's current facility, despite a petition from local residents asking the town council to include it.
"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," said Sherry Boyd, a Trumbull resident.
First Selectman Vicki Tesoro said she's had multiple conversations with 365 Data Centers and Aphorio Carter about minimizing the data center’s environmental impact.
“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,” wrote Tesoro on the town’s website.
But the town is still figuring out how to make those agreements enforceable, should the data center’s new operators want to expand in the future — and experts say that's likely to happen.
“The data center owner has every incentive to expand,” Gillingham said.
The Trumbull facility currently has a capacity of 15 megawatts, the equivalent of three large hospitals, according to Gilllingham.
“Assuming the expansion of AI data centers that we see around the country continues, of course they're going to be going back to the electric utility and say, ‘Can we up this 15 megawatts to 20 megawatts, to 30 megawatts?’" he said.
And Trumbull residents, like Sarah Beck, aren't convinced the town council has all the answers yet.
“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,” Beck said.
Trumbull residents say they’ll continue to seek protections from the data center. One option is to gather enough signatures to force a referendum.
“That's normally a pretty high bar,” said Trumbull resident Richard White, noting they would need to get approximately 2,400 voters to sign a petition.
“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,” White said.
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member, covering the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public
