The massive data center proposal in New Castle County is dealt a significant blow.
Delaware’s Department of National Resources and Environmental Control has deemed Project Washington - the six-million-square foot project planned near Delaware City - prohibited under Delaware’s the Coastal Zone Act, which governs large industrial construction along the Delaware coast.
In a letter to the developer Starwood Digital Ventures, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson said the decision was based on the project's plans for continuous uninterrupted operations relying on an unprecedented number of diesel generators that could produce air pollution at heavy industry levels.
He also cited the plan for a tank farm greater than 5 acres in size with further potential to pollute.
Starwood Digital Ventures asked DNREC in December for a decision on whether the facility falls under Delaware’s Coastal Zone Act. It has 14 days to appeal this ruling.
The proposed data center has been a hot button issue in New Castle County. There’s no plan for the facility to produce its own power, and consumer advocates predict that if the data center pulls power from the grid, power bills could rise by some $70 per month.
And state lawmakers are currently considering multiple bills to address data centers and their potential economic and environmental impact.
Read the DNREC decision here:
This is a developing story. Check back for updates
