Lowell residents sue over data center expansion in neighborhood

A group of Lowell, Massachusetts residents has initiated a civil lawsuit in Middlesex Superior Court, challenging the state's decision to permit the expansion of a data center operated by Markley Group LLC. The 94-page complaint contends that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) unlawfully approved the expansion, which would introduce 27 industrial diesel backup generators and 16 cooling towers, thereby worsening pollution in the residential area. Jacob Fortes, a plaintiff whose home is near the data center, expressed that the lawsuit is a crucial step for the neighborhood to gain deserved respect. Yale Law School student attorney Mehrdad Dariush, representing the plaintiffs, stated that the lawsuit targets all aspects of Markley and MassDEP's approval process, alleging violations of the state's Administrative Procedure Act and asserting that the consent order infringes upon plaintiffs' rights and exceeds agency powers. This legal action comes after the Lowell City Council enacted a one-year moratorium on new data center construction in March 2026. The Markley Group has operated the data center in Lowell since 2015, making it the largest in Massachusetts.