The First Data Center By-law in the State is Approved by the Municipal Law Unit

Data centers are a source of countervailing political concerns these days. Municipalities are attracted to the potential jobs and new tax revenue, while concerned about the environmental impacts and the center’s need for significant amounts of electricity and water. One town (an HH client) recently passed a zoning by-law to regulate data centers and the by-law has been approved by the AG’s Municipal Law Unit. Believed to be the first such by-law in the Commonwealth, the town of Mansfield tiers the regulation of such centers based upon the energy demand, limits them to certain zoning districts, and requires a special permit. Once operational, the centers are subject to ongoing reporting and monitoring and the special permit is subject to renewal every five years. Any municipality interested in regulating data centers may find Mansfield’s approach to be of interest.