For over a year, activists from across the state have gathered under the DE-CLEAR coalition (Delaware Data Center Coalition for Local, Environmental and Accountable Regulation) to advocate for responsible land use and energy policy. Recently, that grassroots advocacy yielded several major municipal wins across the state, including a ban on data centers in Frederica and Harrington, an 18-month moratorium for the City of Dover, guardrails for Kent County, and an ordinance in New Castle County that ensures adequate electrical supply is available before data center projects can move forward.
Despite these victories, coalition leaders emphasize that these hard-won interim pauses and ordinances are only the beginning of a larger effort to protect Delaware residents and energy infrastructure.
Community Leader Vonda Smack, from Dover, notes on the recent passage of the adopted moratorium on data center applications, “This is a first step in addressing data centers in our city, but let’s be clear, it is not the finish line! We are not against progress. We are against progress that leaves our people paying the price while somebody else collects the profits! This moratorium gives us time to ask the hard questions, demand transparency, examine the environmental and economic impacts, and make sure community protections and reinvestment are part of the conversation. An 18-month pause means nothing if we don’t use that time to put real protections in place. Our communities deserve a seat at the table, not just an invitation after decisions have already been made.”
DE-CLEAR has been discussing how best to use the moratorium to engage community members about their concerns and potential solutions to data center impacts.
Kelly Blanchies and Cheryl Bowman from the Central Delaware Data Center Action Group shared,
“The Harrington community showed up in a big way to have their voices heard about a proposed data center in town! The city council listened and voted against an ordinance to allow data centers. We look forward to the enactment of a data center ban, which the council voted to take action on. We encourage Harrington residents to stay involved to protect their community.” They continued, “Frederica’s Mayor and Town Council should be commended for their proactive approach to data centers. They said data centers are not a good fit for Frederica and implemented a ban. Great job, Town of Frederica!’’
Though these wins mark momentum towards guardrails and accountability from data center development, the coalition’s work is far from over.
“We’ve heard from so many Delawareans about their very real concerns regarding proposed data center buildouts,” says Marissa McClenton, the facilitator for DE-CLEAR, “We need each municipality to follow suit and enact comprehensive protections before it is too late, whether that is guardrails, bans, moratoriums, or large load tariffs for our municipal utilities and electric co-ops.”
DE-CLEAR invites residents to participate in upcoming community listening sessions to share their concerns and help shape local policy recommendations.