Udell Calls for Moratorium on New Data Centers; Malloy Favors State-Led Rules and Nuclear Development

Data centers and energy needs drew a pointed exchange. Kent Udell argued for regulation and said he "call[s] for a moratorium on new data centers," citing local examples where he said public input was overridden. He raised concerns about power, water use and investment motives behind large data projects.

Celeste Malloy said state and local governments are better placed to tailor rules and pointed to a Utah law requiring data centers to avoid harming ratepayers and to add capacity. On broader energy policy, Malloy described nuclear and geothermal as important parts of a market-driven mix for baseload power. Udell, calling himself an energy engineer, said small modular nuclear economics remain unproven and warned against returning ratepayers' money to risky investments.