FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | February 4, 2026
Contact: Sarah Fulton (302) 401-1114
DOVER — Following this morning’s decision from DNREC declaring that the proposed Project Washington data center would be in violation of the Coastal Zone Act, Sen. Stephanie Hansen issued the following statement:
“First and foremost, I want to commend Secretary Patterson and his staff at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control for conducting a robust analysis for the Project Washington application and for upholding a transparent public engagement process that allowed hundreds of Delawareans to make their voices heard.
After reading the full decision issued by the Secretary, I agree with his conclusion that components of this project clearly violate core regulations outlined in the Coastal Zone Act.
Make no mistake: this decision should not be viewed as a referendum on the future of data centers in Delaware. Given the growing emphasis on technology and artificial intelligence, it’s clear that data centers are here to stay — and it’s up to us to implement meaningful regulations that balance economic opportunity with energy affordability and reliability.
Ultimately, this decision from DNREC buys us time to get this right and allows us to have a dispassionate conversation about how the State of Delaware should proceed with all future data center proposals. I’m hopeful that my partners in Dover, our counterparts in the counties, and members of the public will remain engaged on this emerging issue.”
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