Grafton, MA Bans Data Centers After 114-12 Town Vote
Grafton residents voted 114-12 to prohibit data centers as a primary use in every zoning district. The bylaw still requires review and approval by the Massachusetts attorney general before it can take effect, while officials cited water use, electricity demand and environmental impacts as concerns.
Grafton Town Meeting approved a townwide prohibition on data centers by a 114-12 vote on Oct. 19. The bylaw would bar facilities designed primarily for servers and related infrastructure in every zoning district, while exempting small server rooms that are incidental to another use. It cannot be enforced until it receives Massachusetts attorney general review or the statutory review period expires.
The measure followed joint work by the Grafton Select Board and Planning Board, which voted to advance the zoning language. Planning Board Chair Gregory Dalle-Molle cited water concerns, while state officials have warned that data centers can require major electric-grid and power-generation investments and create energy, climate, environmental and public-health impacts. Grafton's action comes amid similar data-center restrictions and study pauses in other Massachusetts communities.