Data Center Hysteria

Today the nation is engaged in data center hysteria. Both political parties at the federal, state, and local levels are rushing to ban data centers. Much of the hysteria is about hyper-scale AI data centers that use 300 to 500 MW of power and copious amounts of water. Data Centers have been around for over 50 years. Much of the equipment in data centers was developed at Bell Labs Holmdel. Two data centers in Holmdel have operated quietly for decades — the Verizon FIOS data center on Holmdel Road by Vonage and the large satellite dish data center by the Art Center and Veterans Park. The latter uses a large amount of diesel fuel to keep the satellite dishes aligned with the satellites. Now the nationwide data center hysteria has now come to Holmdel to the very place that created the technology for data centers. I am writing today to ask all Holmdel residents to look beyond the hysteria and instead embrace the opportunity that is now in front of us. The proposed Data Center at Bell Works is NOT a hyper-scale AI data center that will destroy Holmdel's way of life. It is being built on the footprint of the former Lucent Global Compliance Data Center, far from the iconic Bell Works building. It will use one-tenth the power needs of hyper-scale AI data centers and no water. In 1960, JCP&L built the adjacent Robert's Road Substation at 48 MW to power the Bell Labs building under construction. Today, Bell Works consumes 5 MW, leaving the substation with more than enough available power for the proposed data center. Ten years ago, Bell Works rose from the ashes of Bell Labs. Today it is the crown jewel of Holmdel. What is being proposed is a new COLOCATION data center, NOT a hyper-scale AI data center. This data center will lease a total of 1176 racks for state-of-the-art data center equipment to be installed into them. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Nvidia will lease rack space inside the data center as offices and tables are leased at Bell Works and Bell Works Market. All Holmdel should embrace this opportunity. The Data Center at Bell Works will solidify the financial footing of Bell Works and keep the Bell Works PILOT revenues stable and rising well into the future. With the Bell Works redevelopment, Holmdel got a new library and a township meeting room inside Bell Works. With the Azura redeployment will come a new Holmdel Senior Center and five acres of land for a new Holmdel Fire/EMS building. For the data center redevelopment, I request that Holmdel Township be given free long-term leases for 2 racks inside the Data Center at Bell Works — one for Holmdel schools and one for Holmdel businesses. Think of all the educational, research, and new business opportunities access to these racks can give to Holmdel. I ask that we stop the data center hysteria and embrace Holmdel's legacy of technological innovation for our children and grandchildren.

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