Global Common LLC (GC) is developing a data center campus powered by fuel cells supplied by natural gas from three Enbridge interstate pipelines that run in a single ROW directly across the project site. See Figures 1 and 2. The site is a 159-acre assemblage zoned for data centers “by right,” midway between NY and Boston.
Phase 1 will provide about 40 MW of IT power within 18–21 months of equipment deposit. Grid power is expected to be available for office needs and auxiliary loads if required. Full build-out of up to 280 MW IT can be delivered within 26–32 months from equipment deposits or may be phased in over several years. The site’s location midway between New York City and Boston, within a well-established Northeast fiber region, provides low-latency access to financial, biotech, AI, and enterprise markets.
View a full overview of the project.
View plan to reduce residential electric bills by nearly 50%.
GC submitted a Service Request to Enbridge under a long-term fixed price firm transportation agreement for transport from the Ramapo hub to the project site as part of Enbridge’s Open Season solicitation. GC has also executed a gas supply agreement with Emera Energy, and is in the process of securing fixed transportation and supply with other upstream transporters and Marcellus shale producers.
The fuel cells are classified as Class I Renewable Energy sources and will produce Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) that will significantly reduce energy costs. Recent 2028 bid/offer REC prices have been about $34.00/$34.75/MWH. Based on these assumptions, the total net energy cost could be less than $0.10/kWh. See Table 1. Fuel cells also reduce time to power because fuel cells have negligible emissions of criteria pollutants, avoiding Title V air permitting timelines.
The project has not yet filed for site plan approval. The project would eliminate an existing sand-and-gravel trucking operation that currently uses a residential portion of Geer Street and preserve open space along Geer Street. The project will only occupy approximately a third of the total site area after full build out, thus minimizing aesthetic impacts.
GC has an exclusive option to purchase two parcels, has completed a preliminary site plan, submitted a service request to Enbridge to secure firm gas transportation under a fixed price, 20-year agreement, and executed a gas supply agreement with Emera Energy. The town has provided a letter confirming the site zoning permits use as a data center “by right.” The site plan application is expected to be submitted to the town in early 2027. Additional information is available in the project data room following execution of an NDA. Global Common is open to discussions regarding powered land sales, joint venture development, or other strategic partnerships.
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that generate electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen in a clean and efficient process. Unlike traditional combustion-based power generation, fuel cells produce electricity without burning fuel. They are also highly reliable, providing steady, high-quality power with greater efficiency than many conventional generation systems.
Data centers demand continuous, uninterrupted power. Fuel cells can provide a stable, independent energy source that reduces reliance on the grid. Their modular design allows scalability to match growing capacity needs with the rise of AI. Their ability to operate efficiently on-site reduces transmission losses and improves overall energy security.
View a list of existing and proposed fuel cell projects happening in Connecticut.
View a list of requirements, reviewing bodies, and how each applies to the project.
Cromwell offers a unique combination of existing energy infrastructure, strategic location, access to major markets and a skilled workforce. The proposed campus would provide essential computing infrastructure for healthcare, banking, education, scientific research, business and artificial intelligence.
The project is designed to combine advanced technology with efficient onsite energy generation, substantial open-space preservation and lasting community benefits.
The proposed campus occupies approximately 159 acres, but less than 30% would be used for buildings, energy equipment, roads and stormwater facilities.
The buildings themselves would occupy less than 15 acres, or less than 10% of the total property.
More than 70% would remain undeveloped, including farmland, wetlands, wooded areas and natural buffers.
Global Common proposes to permanently preserve approximately 20 acres of commercially zoned land along Geer Street as farmland and open space.
This would require acquiring existing solar development rights on portions of the property at substantial cost to the project.
The site design is intended to avoid disturbance of wetlands and associated buffer areas, retain substantial wooded areas, and manage stormwater onsite.
The project would use high-efficiency fuel cells rather than conventional combustion engines or turbines for its primary electricity generation. Fuel cells operate relatively quietly, although their fans and supporting equipment produce some noise.
Most buildings and equipment would be concentrated toward the rear of the property. The nearest equipment would be more than 1,200 feet from Geer Street and more than 600 feet from the nearby school.
The design includes sound barriers, a 15-foot-high landscaped berm and wooded buffers. Detailed acoustic studies will determine the measures needed to meet applicable noise standards.
The proposed campus would use a closed-loop cooling system designed to minimize water consumption and wastewater discharge.
Unlike conventional evaporative cooling systems, the proposed design would recover waste heat from onsite fuel cells to help operate absorption cooling equipment.
Water requirements will be evaluated as the engineering design advances.
The proposed campus would generate its primary electricity onsite using high-efficiency fuel cells, minimizing additional demand on the regional electric grid.
Global Common is also developing a Community Power Program that would use project revenues to eliminate electricity supply charges for participating Cromwell households as the campus expands.
At full development, the program is intended to reduce participating households’ total electric bills by nearly 50%. Residents would continue to pay normal Eversource delivery charges.
At full development, Global Common estimates that the project could provide more than $10 million annually in municipal revenue under a negotiated Host Community Agreement.
That would be equivalent to nearly 20% of Cromwell’s reported FY2025 property tax levy.
The project would also create construction employment, permanent skilled jobs and opportunities for Connecticut businesses.
Data centers generally generate relatively little daily traffic once construction is completed.
The project would also incorporate an adjoining sand-and-gravel property currently associated with truck traffic on Geer Street. Redeveloping that property as part of the campus would eliminate the existing gravel operation and its associated trucking.
Construction traffic would be addressed through a traffic management plan.
Fuel cells have been used commercially for decades, including at hospitals, universities, industrial facilities and other commercial properties.
A 2023 study identified approximately 130 fuel-cell projects in Connecticut. Examples include installations at Stamford Hospital and the approximately 20 MW New Britain Energy & Innovation Park.
Fuel cells generate electricity electrochemically rather than through conventional combustion engines, resulting in low emissions of regulated air pollutants. The Cromwell facility would be designed to comply with applicable environmental, building and fire safety requirements.
Much of the property is already zoned for commercial and industrial development. A previous developer proposed a warehouse and distribution facility exceeding one million square feet.
Other permitted uses could include manufacturing, commercial development or solar installations, depending on applicable approvals.
The proposed permanent farmland preservation, Community Power Program and Host Community Agreement are benefits associated with Global Common’s data center proposal and would not automatically occur under alternative developments.
The question is therefore not simply whether the property should be developed, but how it can be used to provide long-term benefits while protecting surrounding neighborhoods and the environment.
Global Common welcomes questions and comments from Cromwell residents.
We encourage residents to review the project information and submit questions about the proposed design, environmental protections and community benefits. Frequently asked questions and responses will be updated as the project advances.
