New Bedford advances measure to ban data centers
New Bedford city councilors unanimously advanced an ordinance that would indefinitely prohibit new data centers in the city. Planners describe the measure as a pause while they study data centers’ potential noise, water, and electricity impacts and whether the city can accommodate one.
The New Bedford City Council advanced an ordinance that would block new data centers from being built anywhere in the city. Although the measure is described as an indefinite ban, city planners characterize it as a pause that would provide time to examine whether New Bedford has the infrastructure and resources to support modern, large-scale facilities.
Planning Director Jen Carloni said current zoning allows data centers under general business and office uses because the rules were written when such facilities were viewed as ordinary buildings containing computer servers. She told councilors that newer AI-oriented data centers can be much larger, noisier and more demanding of water and electricity. Councilors Ian Abreu and another unnamed councilor said they remain open to data centers if they bring revenue and operate under appropriate regulations.