Inside look at AI data center in Lowell
Residents in Lowell, Massachusetts, are engaged in a years-long battle against a data center operated by Markley Group, citing environmental concerns like noise and fumes from generators. An ongoing lawsuit from residents aims to halt the company's expansion plans, a claim Markley Group is confident will be dismissed. The facility, a former spaghetti factory, has been operational since 2015.
In Lowell, Massachusetts, a data center operated by Markley Group, formerly a Prince spaghetti factory, has become the focal point of a years-long dispute with local residents. The facility, which began operations in 2015, predates the recent artificial intelligence boom but is now facing renewed scrutiny as AI fuels demand for similar facilities nationwide. Residents, led by Jake Fortes who lives near the data center, claim that the facility's diesel generators and cooling fans generate significant noise and fumes, negatively impacting their quality of life and polluting the neighborhood. Fortes has formed the group "on his future for Lowell" to advocate for environmental justice.
The residents are actively working with environmental advocates to oppose Markley Group's expansion plans, and a lawsuit has been filed and is currently ongoing. Markley Group, however, expresses confidence that the lawsuit will be dismissed, noting that similar claims have been submitted and dismissed in the past.
In an unprecedented move, Markley Group invited NBC10 Boston inside their Lowell facility to showcase their operations. The company clarifies that their data center differs from the hyperscale facilities typically associated with the AI boom, instead focusing on cloud computing and data storage for clients like hospitals, universities, and police departments. Markley Group claims there is misinformation linking their decade-old facility with the newer, larger data centers drawing national attention, stating their campus is quiet despite residents' complaints about generator noise and cooling fans.