Town Meeting will vote on Data Center Bylaw

Voters at the Rehoboth Town Meeting, scheduled for November 17, will be asked to approve a new bylaw prohibiting data centers from being established in town.

Town Administrator Sue Pimental said Selectman George Solas consulted with the town legal counsel about the bylaw.

On October 28, the Planning Board will be holding a public hearing about the change to the zoning bylaw. The Board will discuss and vote on the measure.

According to the US Data Center Map, Massachusetts has 63 tracked data center facilities and projects: 56 operational, 0 under construction, 0 planned, 1 paused, and 6 inactive or historical. Reported or announced power totals 143.1 MW, including 23 MW tied to planned or under-construction projects.

Governor Maura Healey announced new regulations surrounding the development of prospective data centers in Massachusetts last month.

“We’re putting communities in the driver's seat here and we're laying out the rules so there’s clarity and there’s certainty in data center development," Healey said from a press conference at the State House.

“Under a new executive order, data centers will need to get local community support to secure state permits, including having a community benefits agreement in place with the host community. The process will also need to be transparent, with no use of non-disclosure agreements between any state agencies and developers,” NBC10 Boston reported.

“Data centers will also be required to either supply their own clean energy or pay into a rate payer protection fund, a measure that Healey said will protect residents from higher utility bills brought on by increased energy use.”

“Developers will also have to provide proof that the projects won't be detrimental to the environment or water supply. They also need to show benefits to communities, like job creation.”

MassLive.com reported that more than 30 communities in the state have either enacted a data center moratorium or outright ban, or were discussing doing so in the near future.