Markley Lowell pushes back against data center opposition
Jeff Markley of Markley Group is defending his Lowell data center against local opposition, which includes a lawsuit filed over its diesel generators and cooling towers and a city-imposed moratorium on data center expansion. He contends that the opposition is based on "false narratives" and that data centers like his are crucial for Massachusetts' economic competitiveness. The company has invested heavily in sound attenuation and landscaping to mitigate community impact.
Jeff Markley, head of Markley Group, is actively pushing back against growing local opposition to his company's Lowell data center campus. Markley, a veteran in the data center industry since 1991, expresses concern that such opposition could undermine Massachusetts' global competitiveness, noting that clients might choose states like Virginia or Texas instead. The Markley Group acquired the former Prince Pasta plant in Lowell in 2015, investing over $650 million to transform it into a colocation data center.
The Markley Lowell facility, which is significantly smaller than "hyperscale" data centers that have drawn widespread protests, has nonetheless faced "false narratives" and consistent opposition from a group of residents. These residents have raised concerns about noise, air quality, disruptive construction, and alleged permit violations. In April, a coalition of 10 Lowell residents filed a lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court against the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and Markley Group LLC, challenging the authorization of 27 industrial diesel backup generators and 16 cooling towers in a residential area, citing a "flawed air quality plan."
Markley emphasizes the company's significant investment, including millions of dollars in sound attenuation enclosures for generators and chillers, as well as extensive landscaping to buffer the operations from residential properties. He also highlighted strong support from local businesses, universities like UMass Lowell, and unions, underscoring the data center's positive economic impact and critical role in supporting essential services across the commonwealth.
Further complicating the situation, Lowell’s City Council enacted a 360-day moratorium in March on new data center construction and expansion, though Markley Lowell's existing facility is grandfathered. Additionally, Governor Maura Healey issued an executive order this week to empower communities in protecting against "irresponsible data center development" and higher energy bills. Markley reiterates the indispensable role of data centers in powering modern life and the state's economy, vowing to balance client needs with local and state official requirements.