Athol Planning Board advances data center moratorium

The Athol Board of Planning and Community Development has unanimously voted to advance a proposed moratorium on data center development, sending a draft measure to town counsel for review. The temporary halt in approvals is intended to provide the town with time to develop comprehensive zoning regulations for data center facilities, addressing concerns over energy consumption, water usage, and infrastructure demands. While a one-year pause was discussed, the duration has not been finalized.

The initiative was brought to the board by Select Board member Marc Maxwell, who cited worries about the substantial energy and water demands of data centers in an unregulated environment. Planning Director Eric Smith is drawing on approaches from other communities, including a previously considered moratorium in Mansfield, to help craft Athol's proposal, which includes a definition for data centers and would impact building permits.

The local action follows a statewide trend in Massachusetts, where Governor Maura Healey's administration in June paused new applications for state tax incentives for data centers and introduced a framework to address their environmental and infrastructural impacts. Holyoke also recently enacted a citywide ban on AI data centers exceeding 12 megawatts, underscoring a growing municipal focus on regulating the industry's footprint.