Lowell City Council imposes 360-day moratorium on new data center construction

The Lowell City Council voted 10-0 to impose a 360-day moratorium on the expansion of existing data centers and the construction of new ones in the city. The moratorium, which includes an option to extend it for an additional 180 days, stems from concerns over the impact of the Markley Group's controversial 350,000-square-foot data center in the city's Sacred Heart neighborhood. The moratorium will allow the city to review policies and procedures for enforcing conditions on data centers.