Wilmington MA Proposes Ban on Large Data Centers
Wilmington, MA, officials are proposing a new zoning bylaw to cap data centers at 2 megawatts of power and require special permits for smaller facilities, effectively banning large AI data centers. A public hearing is scheduled for September 29 to discuss the proposal. This local initiative is part of a broader trend in Massachusetts to regulate data center development due to high power and resource consumption.
Wilmington, Massachusetts, is proposing a new zoning bylaw to significantly restrict the development of large data centers within the town. The draft bylaw, scheduled for a public hearing on September 29, would cap data center power consumption at 2 megawatts and require special permits for facilities below that threshold, effectively prohibiting hyperscale AI data centers. Town officials, including Planning and Development Director Valerie Gingrich and Select Board member Jacob Gearwar, emphasized the need for new regulations given the surge in demand for power-intensive AI data centers, which differ greatly from traditional facilities. Wilmington currently lacks a specific land-use category for data centers.
The Wilmington proposal mirrors a bylaw previously approved by Mansfield and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, providing a precedent for its legal validity. This local initiative comes amidst broader state-level shifts, including Governor Maura Healey's administration pausing qualified data center tax exemptions and implementing a policy requiring developers to cover full energy infrastructure costs and utilize clean power. Governor Healey further mandated community approval and Community Benefits Agreements for projects exceeding 25 megawatts, aiming to prevent infrastructure upgrade costs from burdening residential ratepayers.
Other Massachusetts communities are also taking action; Lowell enacted a 360-day moratorium on data center construction in response to resident complaints about a Markley Group facility, which is also subject to a preliminary injunction regarding backup diesel generators due to air and noise pollution concerns. The statewide trend reflects a growing debate over balancing the economic benefits of data center development with environmental and resource impacts, particularly concerning high electricity prices and local zoning efforts to limit heavy resource users.