Shifting politics around data centers scramble Healey AI push

The Lowell City Council voted 10-0 to approve a one-year moratorium on new data center construction, in a move that reflects a growing national backlash against data centers. The vote pitted unions who praised the jobs and tax revenue from a Markley data center against local residents concerned about environmental impacts like noise, water usage, and energy consumption. The moratorium will allow Lowell to consider zoning changes and a potential community benefits agreement. It's part of a broader rethinking of data centers happening across the US, including proposed moratoriums in other states. This is complicating Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's push to embrace the AI industry and data centers as an economic strategy, as she tries to balance promoting the tech with concerns over energy affordability and environmental impacts. The state has provided a broad tax exemption for data centers, but no projects have yet claimed it due to ongoing discussions over the regulations. A planned $1 billion data center project in Westfield also appears stalled amid local opposition.