Why is the Groton Town Council rushing to a March 16 vote on a Data Center?

On Wednesday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. the Groton Town Council will hold a special meeting at the Senior Center (Thrive 55+) that was called at the urging of the company applying for a “Municipal Host Fee Agreement” between the town and the company, New England Edge (NE Edge) and CEO Thomas Quinn, to develop a data center. The council plans to vote on the agreement despite its revision as late as Thursday, March 10. The special meeting initially was set for March 15 without an opportunity for public comment. After public protest, the meeting has been rescheduled for the following day with a chance for citizens’ petitions.

Why did the majority of councilors endorse a special meeting to vote on the agreement despite the requests of Groton residents for a more thorough review?

Groton residents have raised many questions about the application to develop a data center on Flanders Road. Serious concerns include (1) air pollution from diesel generators that will be run to save money for the company at times of peak demand when electricity from the grid is most expensive, and the threats of this air pollution to the health of the community, particularly children, older adults, and people with respiratory illness; (2) risks of noise from air conditioning units and diesel generators; and (3) potential environmental harms (a partial list includes degradation of water quality, stormwater runoff and pollution, and the massive regrading that would be required to build on this hilly and rocky site). Certain of these concerns deserve to be addressed at the front end within the agreement. Town staff and Mr. Quinn assert that the revised agreement includes some significant changes (as of midday March 11 not yet available for public review).

Equally important is the question why the Groton Town Council would make a legal commitment to a huge business deal with Mr. Quinn given the questionable nature of his past business dealings to set up data centers in Connecticut. In 2021, without real public scrutiny (such as is being brought currently to the NE Edge application), the council signed a municipal host fee agreement for a data center with an entity called Gotspace. Mr. Quinn, a founder of Gotspace, disengaged from that project (reasons unclear) to pursue the NE Edge project at the Flanders Road site. Nicholas Fiorillo, Mr. Quinn’s former partner in Gotspace, has accused him of obstructing plans for a data center corridor in CT. (Still, the future of the Gotspace project is unknown; it is unclear if by signing an agreement with NE Edge the council could be committing to a SECOND data center.) In addition, Mr. Quinn was associated with a failed data center project in Montville with an entity called Verde Group. At the recent Feb. 24 Groton Town meeting Donna Green, a cofounder of Verde, publicly accused Mr. Quinn of theft. Court proceedings are sealed, but Mr. Quinn (identified as Verde’s CEO) is named in one lawsuit arising from the Montville collapse. Adding to potential litigious risk, Mr. Quinn has no experience with building or operating a data center. Why would the council find it in the best interest of the town to commit to Mr. Quinn?

The opportunities for Groton residents to raise questions and concerns in a public forum about the NE Edge application thus far have been limited to three-minute intervals. However, written information about public health risks and environmental concerns has been conveyed to the council by numerous members of the Groton community and makes a solid case for the council to go slow on signing any data center agreement. Mr. Quinn’s particular business history raises serious questions about whether the town should seek other applicants for any data center that may be developed in Groton.

That is why the council’s readiness to go forward at Mr. Quinn’s urging to take a vote on March 16 is so perplexing and frustrating. Why such urgency for a decision now? In the interest of the town and its residents, a much more considered and thoughtful approach is needed from our council.

The writer is a resident of Mystic.