Massachusetts local moratoria
Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for Massachusetts, current through August 19, 2026.
7 instruments — 4 in force, 2 pending, 1 past.
State policy is tracked separately: 5 actions (5 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.
| Jurisdiction | Type | Enacted | Sectors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everett (restriction proposal, not moratorium) | City | 2026-06-22 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Gill (proposal, not enacted as of 2026-04-29) | Town | Unverified | data center, battery storage | 🟡 Pending |
| Heath (proposal, not enacted as of 2026-04-29) | Town | Unverified | battery storage, data center | 🟡 Pending |
| Lowell | City | 2026-03-10 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Malden | City | 2026-05-05 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Shutesbury | Town | 2025-09-30 | data center | ⚪ Expired |
| Westfield | City | 2026-07-06 | data center | 🟢 Active |
Detailed entries
Everett (restriction proposal, not moratorium)
- Type: City
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2026-06-22 (final ordainment/second reading); initial enrollment/first-reading vote 2026-06-08.
- Normalized date:
2026-06-22(exact) - Duration: Not a moratorium
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ma-everett-2026 - Legal basis: Proposed amendment to Section 37, Everett Docklands Innovation District zoning
- What prompted it: Public opposition to possible data center uses at the former ExxonMobil/Docklands site; concerns over water, electricity, noise, heat, and environmental justice
- Affected projects: No data center formally proposed; The Davis Companies has a master plan special permit for the Docklands redevelopment
- Detailed status: Adopted. The Everett City Council enrolled the Section 37 (Docklands Innovation District) zoning amendment on 2026-06-08 and ordained (finally passed) it on 2026-06-22, converting data centers from a by-right to a restricted use with a combined footprint/power cap (the lesser of 20,000 square feet or 5 megawatts), required closed-loop cooling, funding of electric-system upgrades, backup generators, a minimum setback from housing, and a resident hiring preference.
- Outcome: Adopted as a standing city ordinance amendment to Section 37 (not a moratorium -- no fixed sunset); restricts, rather than bans, data center development within the Docklands Innovation District.
Gill (proposal, not enacted as of 2026-04-29)
- Type: Town
- Status: 🟡 Pending
- Date enacted: Not enacted; Annual Town Meeting scheduled 2026-05-04
- Normalized date:
—(unverified) - Duration: Proposed 2026-05-04 to 2027-05-03, if adopted
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center, battery storage
- Moratorium ID:
ma-gill-2026 - Legal basis: Proposed Section 18, Building-Integrated Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Data Centers
- What prompted it: Data centers undefined in Gill zoning bylaws; unique energy and noise impacts; related BESS state-regulatory uncertainty
- Affected projects: Proposed to bar special permits, site plan approvals, building permits, zoning permits, certificates of occupancy, and other approvals for BESS or data centers townwide
- Detailed status: Proposed
- Outcome: If adopted, Planning Board would study regulations for consideration at spring 2027 Town Meeting.
Heath (proposal, not enacted as of 2026-04-29)
- Type: Town
- Status: 🟡 Pending
- Date enacted: Not enacted; Annual Town Meeting scheduled 2026-05-09
- Normalized date:
—(unverified) - Duration: Proposed one year from effective date
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: battery storage, data center
- Moratorium ID:
ma-heath-2026 - Legal basis: Proposed Zoning Bylaw Section 6.11, submitted by Planning Board and recommended by Select Board
- What prompted it: Need to study BESS and data centers and develop zoning controls consistent with state siting and permitting requirements
- Affected projects: Proposed to bar special permits, site plan approvals, building permits, zoning permits, certificates of occupancy, and other approvals for BESS or data centers townwide
- Detailed status: Proposed
- Outcome: If adopted and later approved by the Attorney General, Planning Board would study BESS and data center zoning during the moratorium.
Lowell
- Type: City
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2026-03-10
- Normalized date:
2026-03-10(exact) - Duration: 360 days; one optional extension up to 180 days by two-thirds City Council vote
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ma-lowell-2026 - Legal basis: Ordinance amending Chapter 290, Article II, Article VII Section 7.11, and Article XII of the Lowell Zoning Code
- What prompted it: Zoning code gap, Markley facility expansion concerns, neighborhood air/noise impacts, diesel generators, water and power capacity, and environmental justice concerns
- Affected projects: New data center construction and development citywide; new expansion of existing data centers. The Markley Group Lowell facility (352,000 sq ft) is the central local controversy. MW capacity of the existing Markley Lowell facility is not publicly disclosed in captured records [VERIFY: Markley Lowell facility MW not publicly disclosed; the Boston Markley facility is reported at 30 MW in operator materials, but Lowell-specific MW not located].
- Detailed status: Active
- Outcome: City staff must study impacts and draft zoning recommendations; staff must also consider enforcement policies and a community benefit agreement requirement.
Malden
- Type: City
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: City Council vote reported 2026-05-05 (unanimous, per Neighborhood View); a second outlet describes a June 16, 2026 effective date, consistent with a two-reading enrollment/ordainment process, but that detail was not independently verified.
- Normalized date:
2026-05-05(range) - Duration: One year
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ma-malden-2026 - Legal basis: Malden City Council ordinance amendment (a second, unverified report cites zoning code sections 12.32.050, 12.12.030, 12.32.060, and 12.32.030)
- What prompted it: The city had no existing ordinance addressing data centers; the Council acted preemptively, before any specific project proposal, to give its Economic Development Committee time to study infrastructure, environmental, and health impacts.
- Affected projects: None named; general/preemptive moratorium.
- Detailed status: Adopted; one-year pause on data centers to allow Economic Development Committee study.
- Outcome: One-year moratorium on data centers adopted unanimously by the City Council.
Shutesbury
- Type: Town
- Status: ⚪ Expired
- Date enacted: 2025-09-30
- Normalized date:
2025-09-30(exact) - Duration: Until 2026-06-30
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ma-shutesbury-2025 - Legal basis: Special Town Meeting Article 10; Zoning Bylaw Section 8.13, with amendments to Section 3.1-1 Use Table and Section 13.2 definitions
- What prompted it: Planning Board need to study an undefined land use; concerns about water consumption, discharge, energy demand, noise, lighting, security, backup diesel generation, and possible well impacts
- Affected projects: New applications for or building of data centers townwide; no named project or MW identified
- Detailed status: The temporary moratorium (Special Town Meeting Article 10, effective through 2026-06-30) expired on schedule. No article proposing a permanent Section 8.13 data center zoning bylaw appeared anywhere on the 33-article warrant for the 2026 Annual Town Meeting (held 2026-05-09), and the town's official Zoning Bylaw Maps and Amendments page (checked 2026-07-31) still lists only the September 2025 temporary moratorium among recent amendments, with no 2026 entry. Data centers are therefore currently unregulated by any dedicated Shutesbury zoning provision.
- Outcome: Moratorium adopted with data centers listed as prohibited in all four zoning districts (RR, FC, TC, LW); Planning Board anticipated a full bylaw amendment for spring 2026 Town Meeting.
Westfield
- Type: City
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: City Council gave Ordinance No. 1805 its second reading and final passage on 2026-07-06; mayoral approval recorded 2026-07-07.
- Normalized date:
2026-07-06(exact) - Duration: Prohibits the permitting, construction, expansion, conversion, establishment, or operation of data centers through 2027-07-06; bars acceptance or approval of applications; stays pending applications; directs the Natural Resources Committee to review environmental, public health, and infrastructure impacts.
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ma-westfield-2026 - Legal basis: Ordinance No. 1805, City of Westfield
- What prompted it: Study of environmental, public health, and infrastructure impacts of data center development; public comments raised water, environmental, and cost concerns.
- Affected projects: —
- Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; one-year moratorium effective through 2027-07-06.
- Outcome: —
Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.