A US city approves a one year moratorium on data centers and Battery Energy Storage Sites
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A central Massachusetts community has enacted a one-year moratorium on new data centers and battery‑energy storage system (BESS) facilities, citing concerns over infrastructure strain, water use, and public‑safety impacts. The decision, approved by officials in Leominster, temporarily halts permitting for both sectors as the city evaluates long‑term zoning, environmental safeguards, and emergency‑response requirements.
The moratorium comes amid statewide scrutiny of data‑center development, following Governor Maura Healey’s June suspension of tax‑incentive applications and her September executive order imposing strict compliance rules for large‑scale data‑center projects. Those statewide measures require developers to demonstrate conformance with Massachusetts’ new framework on energy demand, water use, emissions, and community‑benefit agreements, and mandate procurement of incremental clean‑energy generation for high‑load facilities.
Local officials in Leominster say the pause will allow time to assess how large‑scale digital‑infrastructure projects could affect municipal water systems, firefighting capacity, stormwater management, and neighborhood impacts, especially as AI‑driven data‑center expansion accelerates across the region. The city plans to use the moratorium period to update zoning bylaws, review emergency‑response protocols for lithium‑ion storage sites, and gather public input on future siting standards.
The temporary ban does not affect existing facilities but applies to any new proposals submitted after the moratorium’s adoption. A review report is expected before the moratorium expires in late 2027.
Further Reading:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/central-mass-city-puts-data-141013573.html?
https://mjbommar.github.io/moratorium-data-2026/states/massachusetts.html?
https://www.masslive.com/centralmass/2026/09/central-mass-city-approves-1-year-…?
https://savrn.com/data-center-capital-atlas/massachusetts?
https://cleanpowerdaily.com/opposition-tracker/massachusetts?
https://leominster-ma.gov/335/City-Council?