Written by Elizabeth Zolandz
In June 2025, a data center facility permit was submitted. This proposed center would use 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of energy and take up 6 million gross square feet with 2 campuses on either side of Red Lion Creek. These kinds of data centers have huge impacts on the communities they are built in, from noise pollution to increasing utility bills. This data center would use over twice the amount of energy that ALL homes in Delaware use, leading to higher energy bills and negative impacts on the surrounding environment. To combat these effects, Ordinance 25-101 has been introduced to regulate data centers built in Delaware.
Data centers can utilize hundreds or even thousands of fans to assist with cooling. All of these fans running together produce a 24/7 low-frequency noise that can be felt up to two miles from the center. This noise can be both annoying and have negative impacts on nearby residents' health, causing sleep disorders, annoyance, and both heart and mental health impacts. Ordinance 25-101 proposes that data centers be designed to minimize noise levels, not having levels exceeding 55 dB(A) or dB(C), since higher levels will lead to greater interference and annoyance in the surrounding residents’ lives. The ordinance also proposes that a noise study be submitted in order to evaluate the data center’s impact on its surrounding community. This study will ensure that sound levels are regulated and provide recommendations to help the community.
The location of data centers is also key to their impact. Ordinance 25-101 proposes that data centers be at least 1,000 feet from residential zoning districts. With data centers at a farther distance, residents will experience less noise impact, leading to fewer negative health outcomes.
Data centers require a lot of water to cool their servers. Ordinance 25-101 prohibits open-loop or once-through cooling, unless the water is reused. Open-loop and once-through cooling lead to higher water consumption and are less efficient processes. Additionally, this ordinance requires data center applicants to coordinate with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to demonstrate that there is enough available water for the proposed data center. The ordinance also ensures that data centers comply with all state and federal requirements, such as emission standards and air quality monitoring.
As well as water, data centers use massive amounts of energy, which leads to higher costs for people in their region. For example, in Ohio, which is also seeing an influx of large data center projects, residents experienced an almost $30 a month increase in their electric bills! Ordinance 25-101 requires owners of data centers to prove they are working with energy utilities to demonstrate there is enough room on the grid for them or prove they can generate enough energy on-site to make up the difference. This will decrease the economic burden on Delaware residents.
Ordinance 25-101 is not meant to stop data centers from coming to Delaware; rather, it provides necessary guardrails that protect the local environment and Delaware residents. If data centers, like the one proposed this summer, are built in Delaware, there needs to be legislation put in place to protect Delawareans and Delaware’s environment. Ordinance 25-101 provides this necessary legislation and should be passed into law.