Colchester developer explores data center plan backed by 10-megwatt fuel cell facility
COLCHESTER — A local developer wants to pair 10 megawatts of
approved fuel cell power generation with a "sustainable" data
center project on Old Amston Road.
Colchester-based ReNew Developers is seeking to build a pair
of data centers on 17.15 acres along Old Amston Road, listed in the town's
land records without an address but referred to by the developer as 42 Old
Amston Road. Though detailed plans have not been filed, representatives told
the town's Planning and Zoning Commission that one of the two data centers
would be 20,000 square feet, with each building be supported by a 4.99-megawatt
fuel cell facility.
Earlier this year, ReNew Developers, filing as CMMD
LLC, approached Colchester for a "preliminary review" of a zone
change application for 42 Old Amston Road. A master plan included with the
developer's materials describes two "technology buildings" with
associated fuel cell facilities, designated for two separate phases of
construction, as well as two pads for carbon capture equipment. Each building
would also have an associated "farm pad," intended for an attached hydroponics
facility.
The Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the plan with
ReNew Developers at a meeting on Sept. 16. Commission members asked questions
and discussed the plan but took no action, as no formal application had been
filed for the PZC to act on.
Harry Heller, an attorney representing the applicant, said
at the meeting that the next application that the developer would file
would be for the proposed zone change. If granted by the PZC, the developer
would then fully engineer the project and return to the PZC with an application
for a site plan approval.
John Matheson, president of ReNew Developers and principal
of CMMD LLC, said at the meeting that the plan reflects a
"bring-your-own-power" market focused on smaller facilities located
closer to where they're needed for AI-powered products and services, rather
than "hyperscale" facilities designed for training large language
models that have proven controversial across the country.
Heller said he recognized it was "probably a bad
time politically" to propose a data center, but stressed that the
developer's plan is different in scale and impact to many others that have
received national attention.
Matheson said he had previously approached the town about a
much larger development on the site, as large as 250,000 square feet of floor
space and 25 megawatts of fuel cell power generation.
"Since then, of course, look what's happened on the
national scale," Matheson said. "The data center businesses at the
hyperscale level ... has done, at that size, a terrible job coming into
neighborhoods, taking prime farmland, plopping down, using power, using land,
creating noise, not paying a fair tax bill."
The Connecticut Siting Council approved a petition for a
4.99-megawatt fuel cell facility for the site in October 2022, and a modified
plan for a pair of facilities totaling just under 23 megawatts in November
2023. A June 2023 filing by ReNew Developers LLC states that it was negotiating
a sale of the property for a planned data center development that would be
built alongside the 4.99-megawatt facility, though the larger 18-megawatt
facility would also be needed to "meet their prospective buyers' energy demand
needs."
Matheson said after ReNew Developers secured approval for
the fuel cells, Gray Wolf Data Centers approached the developer for a
"sustainable" data center project, ultimately leading to the proposed
master plan. He highlighted design elements including the carbon capture
equipment, which would store 90% or more of carbon emissions for sale to
various industries, as well as the hydroponics facilities that would use waste
heat and unused power from the data centers for growing produce to be
donated to local organizations.
The project's fuel cells would also keep it off the local
grid, Heller said, with backup generators in place in the event of a power
failure.
Heller said the facilities would use closed-loop liquid
cooling systems, only replacing water that evaporates as a result of heat.
Matheson said the fully built project would use 165,000 gallons of water a
year, roughly comparable to the usage of a three-bedroom house.
"My kids went to Bacon (Academy), and they would shoot
me if we did anything that wasn't sustainable that we do in other places,"
Matheson said.
Residents, officials advocate for rail line extension
Kimberly Drelich
New London — Expanding Shore Line East rail service to
Westerly, adding a second train station in New London, and providing better
accommodations for bicycles on trains were among the suggestions residents and
officials offered Tuesday on the state's updated rail plan.
More than 65 people attended the state Department of
Transportation's open house at the Public Library of New London on the
long-range plan.
The updated plan, anticipated to be finished in the winter
of 2027, "provides an overview of the existing rail systems, a vision and
goals for future improvements, and near and long-term investment priorities for
passenger and freight rail," according to the project website.
Westerly Rail Advocates group members voiced support for
extending Shore Line East, a commuter rail line that runs from New Haven to New
London.
Doug Brockway, the chairman of Westerly's Economic
Development Commission and a Westerly Rail Advocates member, said he supports
raising the platforms at the Westerly station and doubling the five Amtrak
trains that stop daily in Westerly and extending commuter rail there and
farther in Rhode Island.
He said the commuter rail extension would help the many
Westerly residents who commute to Electric Boat in Groton, New London or
Quonset Point to save money and have a less stressful commute, while Electric
Boat also would not have to build parking lots.
He pointed out that other companies are struggling to hire
in the face of competition from Electric Boat and need the mass transit to help
fill jobs and hire from areas such as New London and Providence. He said a
small manufacturer in Westerly recently told him that if there were reliable
commuter rail, it would adjust shift schedules to match commuter rail
schedules.
Vincent Kubicsko of Westerly, who works at Electric Boat's
Groton shipyard, said more employees would be open to taking the trains if the
frequency improved and matched EB's schedules. He said he'd like to see a
Groton station with bike parking at the station and at EB.
A second New London station?
Alex Berardo, a rail advocate and planner who is the vice
chair of the Rhode Island Association of
Railroad Passengers and a member of Westerly Rail Advocates as
well as the Shore Line East Riders Advocacy Group, said he is advocating for
opportunities for near-term Shore Line East extensions
to Westerly through Mystic, as well as increased service on the existing route.
He said in a recent phone interview that he also is in favor
of a Groton station and is proposing the state add a second New London train
station, in addition to Union Station, that he said would capture the
"single largest pocket of untapped ridership potential on the Shore Line
East route."
Berardo said the proposed station — potentially along the
tracks adjacent to Crescent Street and Pequot Avenue — would be within walking
distance of Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and Electric Boat's engineering office
and make taking the train a compelling alternative to get to work. He
calculates that about 6,000 jobs are located within a quarter-mile radius and almost
4,000 residents live within a half-mile radius.
Berardo said the proposed pedestrian-oriented station would
not need a large parking lot.
New London Mayor Michael Passero said the proposed station
is just for pedestrians so it wouldn't disturb Calkins Park or Green Harbor
Park.
"It would open up being able to bring employees to New
London, whether it's for the healthcare system or for EB from all along the
shoreline," he said. "It's just a win-win for everyone."
City of Groton Mayor Jill Rusk said she'd love to see Shore
Line East extended with a stop in Groton and Mystic and then into Westerly,
which would help the many EB employees who commute from both directions as well
as residents who love to travel within the region. She said with the Gold Star
Memorial Bridge construction project, now is the perfect time to expand
commuter rail.
Joshua Caskey, a Connecticut College senior, said he'd like
to see improved bus frequency and Shore Line East service and improvements to
make it safer for people to walk in the region.
"I think in Connecticut we often forget about transit
riders and people who don't own cars," said Caskey, explaining that in New
London, over 10% of residents don't own a car.
Karen Pham and her partner, Peter Henry, of Norwich said
that the aging demographics in the region has made them think about what
options are available as people get older and might not be as comfortable
driving.
State Rep. Dan Gaiewski, D-40th District, said with Electric
Boat's growth in southeastern Connecticut, it's important to look at rail as an
option for transporting the workforce to alleviate the congestion on local
roads, as well as looking at expanding bus transportation from the train
station.
State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, D-41st District, also
supported extending Shore Line East service to Mystic and Westerly, adding the
state could also explore new stations in Stonington Borough and Groton, which
were suggested in a state feasibility study a few years ago.
The state's rail plan identifies potential projects
"that enhance rail service and provide public benefit" and helps
"helps Connecticut secure and direct federal funding and allows
Connecticut to allocate local matching funds to maximize rail investments in
the state," according to the DOT.
According to DOT data, ridership on rail in Connecticut is
increasing, including ridership on Shore Line East which increased from 193,400
riders in Fiscal Year 2024 to 246,600 in Fiscal Year 2025.
At the same time the state is updating its rail plan, Amtrak
also is undertaking a
New Haven to Providence Capacity Planning Study.
More information on the state's plan is available at: https://portal.ct.gov/SRP?language=en_US
The DOT is asking people to submit comments by Oct. 13.
Details on how to submit comments are available at: https://portal.ct.gov/dot/programs/connecticut-state-rail-plan/project-updates-and-public-meetings?language=en_US