Proposed Holyoke Data Center causes heated debate
A proposed 21-megawatt data center in Holyoke, Massachusetts, has sparked heated debate, with the City Council considering a zoning amendment to ban data centers. While some councilors oppose the project due to environmental concerns, Mayor Joshua Garcia supports it, citing its small scale and significant tax revenue. The council has sent the zoning amendment back to subcommittee for further discussion, including considering a moratorium.
A proposed data center at the former Hampden Paper Complex on Water Street in Holyoke, Massachusetts, has ignited significant debate, leading the City Council to discuss a zoning amendment that would ban such facilities within the city. The initial order, filed in January, underwent public hearings before being voted out of committee and sent to the full council on June 2. The City Council's Committee on Ordinance recommended adopting an amendment to define "Data Center" as an unallowable use in any zoning district.
After a lengthy discussion, the City Council voted to send the zone change amendment back to the Ordinance Subcommittee. City Councilors expressed a desire to refine the language and assess its impact on existing data centers, also considering alternative solutions like a moratorium. Councilors Anne Thalheimer and Richard Purcell voiced strong opposition, with Purcell stating that data centers would "ruin our green community" by consuming energy and water, causing noise, and being destructive. Councilor Mimi Panitch advocated for additional public hearings to allow more community input.
Conversely, Mayor Joshua Garcia released a statement acknowledging residents' concerns about massive hyperscale data centers but differentiated the proposed 21-megawatt project. He described it as a "small, right-sized facility" comparable to the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, which has operated responsibly since 2012. Garcia affirmed that the project would not strain Holyoke's electric or water supply and, unlike the non-profit computing center, is a $200 million private investment projected to generate over $2 million annually in property taxes, revitalizing a vacant property.
State Sen. John Velis, who represents Holyoke, also weighed in, emphasizing that while Massachusetts should remain a leader in technological innovation, any associated costs for data centers, such as energy and water strain, should be borne by the facilities themselves, not by residents.