Measure Gives City Time to Decide on Future Regulations

NEW BEDFORD – Mayor Jon Mitchell is proposing a citywide prohibition on Data Centers while research is conducted and regulations are considered.

The City’s current zoning rules on Data Centers were adopted in 2024, before the recent growth of artificial intelligence and the resulting increase in the number, size, and intensity of those facilities. The 2024 regulations allow Data Centers by-right in many areas of the City.

“Data Centers have been shown to place significant demands on electrical and water infrastructure, generate noise from mechanical equipment and backup generators, consume substantial amounts of land, and impose other negative impacts on surrounding properties, depending on the scale and design of the facility,” Mayor Mitchell wrote to the City Council. “Continuing to allow this use by-right and without performance standards exposes New Bedford residents to potential risks, which is why I am proposing immediate citywide prohibition.”

The Department of City Planning has begun researching national and statewide case studies on Data Centers as a foundation for developing New Bedford’s regulations. The Mayor’s proposal was filed with the City Council on Sept. 1 and is on the Council agenda for its Sept. 10 meeting.

Mayor Mitchell’s proposal came a week before Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order blocking Data Centers statewide unless they have local approval. Her Sept. 8 order blocks state permitting agencies from advancing Data Center projects without local approval.