CONCORD, NH — Democratic candidate for governor Cinde Warmington is demanding a temporary statewide data center moratorium until robust guardrails are put in place to protect Granite Staters.

Warmington called for the statewide moratorium while appearing before the Nottingham Planning Board and standing alongside residents concerned about a data center proposal. While Warmington is pushing for action, Kelly Ayotte continues to fall short, refusing to back safeguards as data centers threaten to drive up electric costs, strain and pollute water resources, and generate unhealthy amounts of noise. Last year, Ayotte signed a law that would encourage development of data centers and “make the state more attractive to the cryptocurrency industry” by allowing for off-grid energy providers in New Hampshire. 

Meanwhile, proposals aimed at making sure data centers pay their fair share for power usage and equip communities with the tools needed to fight back against data centers failed under Ayotte without her support. 

“Cinde Warmington is standing with Granite Staters and calling for a statewide moratorium on dangerous, unregulated data center expansion,” said Jon Levin, Communications Director. “Kelly Ayotte is doing nothing but offering lip service and standing with the special interests who want to put these facilities across New Hampshire — all while families' electric bills continue to skyrocket. The choice couldn’t be clearer.” 

Excerpts of Warmington’s remarks from Nottingham can be found here and can also be found below. 

"Thank you all. My name is Cinde Warmington. I’m [a] former Executive Councilor and from Concord. 

And I am here to say thank you to all of you who have listened to the concerns of your community so patiently tonight and intently, but is it not enough that we have a board like you that is doing the right thing right now. 

We need to make sure that we put in protections all around our state so that no neighboring community of yours could put in a data center that impacts the quality of your water, that impacts the electric rates that you are paying in your community, that impacts the noise level here in your community.

We need to make sure that we have looked carefully at all of the impacts of these data centers before we make any decisions and that is why I am calling for a statewide moratorium while this issue is studied and so that all of you can be protected. 

[...] We need protection at a state level that gives local control so that communities like you can make a decision to say no to a data center in your community. 

I want to thank you again for listening and for everything that you’re doing for your community tonight. Thank you."