New Hampshire Data Center Plans Face Local Opposition and Potential Legislative Restrictions
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Early-stage plans for a hyperscale AI data center at the former Merrimack Station coal plant in Bow, New Hampshire, have triggered local opposition and renewed political calls to restrict data center development. Governor Kelly Ayotte and state Senate Republicans have signaled support for a moratorium or prohibition, though no legislation or timetable has been confirmed.
- Early-stage AI data center plans at Bow’s former Merrimack Station coal plant drew a September 22 protest.
- Governor Kelly Ayotte and Senate Republicans have indicated support for restricting data center construction in New Hampshire.
- No moratorium or ban has been enacted, and no legislative timetable has been announced.
- A separate Nottingham data center application was withdrawn in May following public reaction.
- Project capacity, investment, sponsor and schedule for the Bow proposal have not been disclosed.
More than 100 people gathered outside a Bow selectboard meeting on September 22 to oppose early-stage plans for a hyperscale AI data center at Merrimack Station, a former coal-fired power plant. The attendance figure was reported by protest organizer Kendra Ford.
The Bow proposal is emerging as New Hampshire’s political debate shifts beyond individual siting and interconnection issues toward potential statewide restrictions on data center construction. On August 20, Governor Kelly Ayotte said New Hampshire was not an appropriate location for a data center because the state lacked sufficient energy resources. On September 17, Senate President Sharon Carson said Senate Republicans agreed with the governor and would pursue legislation against data center construction.
No moratorium, ban or other restriction has been enacted, and no timetable for legislative action has been disclosed. The available information also does not establish the capacity, investment, developer, operator or delivery schedule for the Bow project.
The local response follows a separate case in Nottingham, where an application for data center construction was withdrawn in May after public opposition. Together, the cases suggest that New Hampshire may present heightened permitting and execution risk for prospective hyperscale projects.
For developers and operators, the debate could increase scrutiny of available power supply, the allocation of grid-related costs and the local acceptability of proposed campuses. The current record does not confirm that the Bow project has been cancelled or that statewide restrictions will take effect.
The case illustrates how power-system constraints, local opposition and concerns over shifting infrastructure costs to consumers can become direct regulatory barriers to hyperscale development. For developers, a former generation site does not by itself remove grid, political or community-acceptance risks.
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