Under Healey’s order, data centers larger than 25 megawatts of peak demand will have to bring their own power and guarantee that it adheres to the state’s clean energy requirements. Healey would prefer that they generate the clean power onsite, too. If not, they’ll need to fund the construction of new generation nearby or pay into a ratepayer protection fund.
Massachusetts is also directing communities to “avoid signing non-disclosure agreements,” according to the executive order. To give regulators time to implement the new restrictions, the governor is pausing applications for a data center sales tax exemption that went into effect last month.
The clean power commitment might not be as stringent as it sounds, though. Healey said data centers must meet the Massachusetts clean energy standard enshrined in , which means they will only have to generate a portion of their power using approved sources like wind, solar, and hydro. In 2030, for example, those sources must contribute at least 40% of the total. The amount varies by year, and it ratchets up over time.
TechCrunch was unable to reach Healey’s office prior to publication.
With the new restrictions, Massachusetts becomes the third state in as many months to rein in data center development.
In August, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that all new data centers in the state would need to by the public utility commission and the grid operator, ERCOT. In July, New York’s governor of new data centers 50 megawatts or larger.
With public sentiment shifting against data centers, the tech industry is starting to push back. Pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future — which is funded by Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Greg Brockman — is in battleground states ahead of midterm elections.
De Chant is also a lecturer in MIT’s Graduate Program in Science Writing, and he was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT in 2018, during which time he studied climate technologies and explored new business models for journalism. He received his PhD in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and his BA degree in environmental studies, English, and biology from St. Olaf College.
You can contact or verify outreach from Tim by emailing .