Millbury lawmaker's curbs on data centers cut from state energy bill
State Senator Michael Moore's proposed amendments, aimed at regulating data centers due to energy and environmental concerns, were removed from a Massachusetts energy bill but are planned for refiling in an economic development bill. Concurrently, Governor Maura Healey has temporarily suspended a data center tax exemption and issued new guidelines to ensure projects meet environmental and economic protections. Data center opponents continue to voice concerns over resource consumption and costs.
Massachusetts State Senator Michael Moore, a Democrat from Millbury, saw his two amendments regarding data center regulation removed from the state's energy affordability bill. These amendments aimed to address public concerns over data centers' environmental and economic impacts, including high energy consumption, by proposing an 11-member evaluation council and requiring centers to source 90% of their power from renewables while paying all electricity costs via a tariff. Despite their rejection from the energy bill, Moore intends to refile these amendments in a separate economic development bill.
Simultaneously, Governor Maura Healey, who previously signed legislation in 2024 to exempt data centers from state sales and use tax to attract tech companies, has temporarily halted this exemption. Her administration has since established new guidelines for data centers, focusing on preventing increased energy costs, strain on local infrastructure, and harm to public health and the environment. These guidelines are intended to bolster existing state and local regulatory frameworks.
The article also highlights increasing opposition to hyperscale data centers, citing concerns over land, energy, and water use, and the potential for higher utility bills for ratepayers. As an example of local action, Northborough Town Meeting recently amended its local laws to restrict data center sizes and require special permits for facilities exceeding 5 megawatts.