HB1124

This bill appears to be an attempt to ensure that there are no regulations or restrictions on AI Data Centers. This could result in devastating environmental and community quality of life issues. AI Data Centers use huge amounts of electricity (causing rates to increase) and huge amounts of water (causing water shortages) and create continuing deafening noise. These businesses need to be regulated in order to protect the health and welfare of the public. If you support this bill, then you do not support the health and welfare of the people of NH.

Chair Hunt and members of the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Affairs: The Technology Policy Project at Reason Foundation provides pro bono consulting to public officials and stakeholders to help design and implement artificial intelligence (AI), digital free speech, data security and privacy, child online safety, and tech industry competition policies. Our team brings practical, market-oriented strategies to help foster innovation, competition, and consumer choice through technology policies that work. House Bill 1124 (HB 1124) is similar to legislation passed in other states. It recognizes a “Right to Compute,” a critical affirmative right for innovators that demands policymakers to carefully weigh the compliance burdens of proposed, potentially heavy-handed legislation like data center moratoriums, discriminatory energy use regulation, and more. When overly burdensome laws or regulations are passed, this bill would allow an avenue for redress by affected innovators grounded in the rights enumerated in the state’s constitution. The bill is an excellent example of pro-innovation policy that will drive future investment in this state, and we commend the sponsors for their introduction. However, we offer the following suggestion to strengthen the bill’s intended effect and create further certainty for innovators. HB 1124 preserves the ability for state and local governments to regulate when needed to further a “compelling government interest.” Of these compelling government interests, we note that the text allowing for actions preventing “common law nuisances created by physical datacenter infrastructure” could be abused by localities that approve a plan to build a data center only to change positions after an election and call it a “public nuisance.” We suggest amending this language to clarify that nuisance-based rejections should be considered prior to approving a data center and that these approvals are not subject to an after-the-fact nuisance decision. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this written testimony, and we welcome the opportunity to advise the legislature on this subject in the future. Sincerely, Caden Rosenbaum (caden.rosenbaum@reason.org)

Strongly oppose! This appears to be a backdoor way to sneak in data centers! We DO NOT want data centers in NH. No one wants them in their backyard. They are noisy, use tremendous amounts of water and electricity, and give nothing to the community.

AI data centers are a hazard to the environment and to the health of all.

I believe that it is an attempt to ensure that there are no regulations or restrictions on the creation of AI Data Centers. This could result in devastating environmental and community quality of life issues. I urge you to oppose this bill.

I oppose this bill because I don't think it is necessary, much like HB1345. Who is going to enforce this law? impose the penalty?etc.

I am imposed to this bill because for the sake of NH voters we need more regulations on AI.

What specificially would be the use case for this legislation ? Establishing a 'right' for people to mine bitcoin using public electicity and resources ? Using 'free expression' to spread discriminatory messages, hate speech or AI propaganda without the state being able to protect the public from it ? I disagree with establishing a 'right' to unfairly use public electricity infrastucture and public clean water for any 'computational' purpose.

I oppose this bill because it does not expand transparency, protections, or meaningful benefits for New Hampshire residents.

This bill is blatantly a hand out to data centers. New Hampshire citizens have the right to self governance and that means we have the right to decide what we want built in our communities. This is nothing less than an attack on the inherent right or our communities to dictate our own laws and ordinances. You are stripping the rights of people to sell to foreign corporations.

Very bad consequences for the environment.

We should be regulating huge data centers. They are energy hogs and can potentially raise consumer energy rates as well as being environmentally destructive.