St. Albans data center idea (dropped)
Also called: St. Albans Data Center
In 2025, the town of St. Albans worked with an unnamed developer on a data center of up to 50 MW. It could have brought about 1,000 short-term building jobs and 20 lasting jobs. The developer gave up because a new substation would have cost about $30 million. It was the first known try at a large data center in Vermont.
Where things stand: A developer looked at a site in 2025 but walked away because a new substation would have cost about $30 million.
🕒 Latest update (Feb 26, 2026): The state Public Service Department said there are no current proposals for a large data center in Vermont. It said St. Albans briefly had one, but developers pulled out over the cost of new power lines.
What we know
- 📍 WhereSt. Albans, Franklin County
- ⚡ Power it needs50 megawatts (about as much as 40,000 homes)
- 🔌 Where the power comes fromWould have needed a new substation to connect to the power grid, at a cost of about $30 million.
- 👷 Jobs promised20
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Which company was the developer, and which parcel did it look at? 🙋 I'll find out
- Did St. Albans Town sign a secret deal (NDA) with the developer? 🙋 I'll find out
- Where exactly is the site? A parcel number, address or agenda link helps. 🙋 I'll find out
🔎 What we checked
- Oct 8, 2026: We checked news reports, St. Albans Town selectboard and review board papers, and data center trackers for the site of this plan. None names a parcel, street or industrial park, so the map pin stays on the town.
What happened so far
- 2025The St. Albans town manager worked with a developer on a data center plan. There were two options: 8 to 12 MW, or 50 MW. The developer dropped it because connecting to the grid would have cost about $30 million.
- Feb 26, 2026The state Public Service Department said there are no current proposals for a large data center in Vermont. It said St. Albans briefly had one, but developers pulled out over the cost of new power lines.
Drag the slider to compare the land before and now.
Where this comes from
- Vermont plugs into the data center conversation · VTDigger · Feb 24, 2026
- Concern over big data centers is growing. Is Vermont likely to get one? · Vermont Public · Feb 26, 2026
- Absent state action, Vermont towns move to block data centers · Seven Days · Sept 9, 2026
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