Cambridge City Council looks to limit data center expansion

Cambridge City Council voted unanimously at Monday’s meeting to request the city manager’s office to report back on potential ways they could regulate the expansion of data centers. Councillors said energy constraints and environmental impacts were primary behind looking for ways to intervene in an industry rapidly expanding due to artificial intelligence (AI).  

Currently there is no way the city could regulate a data center project, said Councillor Patty Nolan.

“We know our grid is coming to the point where it’s already being tested,” Nolan said. “If there’s a bunch of data centers that come in, it’s going to be really problematic.”

Nolan also pointed out the massive amounts of water data centers require to cool their systems. According to the Water Department, Cambridge is in a Level 3 “Critical” drought.

In some areas, politicians have sought to attract data centers, hoping for new jobs and investment. But many cities and towns across the country and political spectrum have fought back, citing the adverse impact on quality of life and environmental effects associated with large facilities. During public comment, Willa Norvell, a Boston University student and a policy intern with Nolan, cited water supply depletion and contamination, unsafe noise levels, air pollution and higher energy costs. “It is of the utmost importance that we focus our efforts on getting ahead of the issue that many communities around the country are already grappling with,” Norvell said.

Cambridge is already home to multiple data centers, including those operated by Lightpath and Verizon in East Cambridge. As the biotech industry stalls, Governor Maura Healey has pushed for Massachusetts to become an engine for AI and offered incentives for data center development. A law was passed in November 2024 granting data centers tax exemptions, although proposed regulations have yet to be finalized.

Cities like Lowell already experience tensions caused by large data centers. During a public meeting last month, union members and environmental advocates butted heads over a potential expansion of the 350,000-square foot facility owned by the Markley Group. The Lowell City Council voted 10-0 to place a one-year moratorium on the expansion of data centers.

Unlike Lowell, Cambridge is not likely to suffer the worst of data center’s environmental effects even if the city manager’s report finds that the council cannot regulate data center expansion as it desires. The largest data centers tend to be located in rural outposts where land is cheaper. While Cambridge’s strong connectivity to power supply and proximity to many of the companies and universities that might use the data centers, Cambridge simply doesn’t have the space for acres-wide data farms.

Before voting in favor of the policy order, Vice Mayor Burhan Azeem reminded the council that data centers aren’t always inherently bad.

“The [top] uses for data centers in urban spaces, especially in prime real estate like Cambridge, are emergency response coordination, air quality management, 5G cell service, remote surgeries…” Azeem said, noting that in addition to the Binney street proposed data center, there is also a data center being built by the Cambridge Fire Department for better emergency response coordination.

He also brought up the issue of vacant commercial space in Cambridge, which smaller data centers could fill.

“Would we rather wait until those fill up with more offices and labs, or do we want data centers to fill in there?” Azeem asked. “I think that this policy order is fundamentally right, which is just an investigation.”

This story was updated to include the correct image of the Verizon data center at 89 Fulkerson Street.

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