Photo: City of Lowell
LOWELL, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Lowell City Council has voted unanimously to impose a moratorium on the construction of any new centers, or expansion of any existing data centers in the area.
City council members say they are putting the brakes on the data center sites, stating more needs to be known about their impact on the environment. Lowell City Councilor Kim Scott introduced the moratorium that would halt any expansion projects by the Markley Group.
Approved in 2015, the center was built on light industrial zone property surrounded by residential units. City Councilor Sean McDonough says the approval came before the council had a complete understanding of what AI was, or how energy and water-intensive data centers can be.
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"You'll say, well, we can't move to electrifying new housing developments because our grid can't handle it. But on the same grid, we have a 40 on the way to a 50-megawatt data center," McDonough said.
The council and residents are concerned about the data centers, citing the large diesel generators and water cooling towers sitting just feet away from some homes and their massive power usage.
"I'd like to see rules about their water usage in times of drought. You know, you can't water your lawn, and you're worried about taking a shower that's too long. I don't think it's right that they would have an unrestricted tap," McDonough explained. "Frankly, it's really necessary for us to play the game of regulatory catch-up."
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports.