09/04/2026
METHUEN - Mayor D.J. Beauregard announced today that he is proposing a temporary one-year moratorium on the development of data centers in the City of Methuen. The proposal will come before the Methuen City Council at its next regular meeting on Tuesday, September 8, beginning the review and approval process required for amendments to the City’s zoning ordinance.
The proposed moratorium would temporarily prohibit the construction, establishment, conversion, or use of property for data centers while the City conducts a comprehensive review and develops appropriate permanent zoning regulations.
“Data centers are expanding rapidly across the country, and communities are increasingly being asked to confront the significant demands these facilities can place on electricity, water, and other public infrastructure,” said Mayor Beauregard. “Methuen should not wait until a proposal is sitting in front of us to decide what our standards should be. We have an opportunity to get ahead of this issue, understand the potential benefits and consequences, and put responsible rules in place before development occurs.”
Data centers can require substantial amounts of electricity to operate servers, cooling systems, and other equipment, potentially requiring significant new electrical infrastructure. Depending on their design, they can also consume substantial amounts of water for cooling and create additional concerns related to noise, air quality, backup generators, and surrounding land uses.
At the same time, the proposed ordinance recognizes that data centers can create economic development opportunities, including investment, employment, and additional tax revenue.
“The goal of this ordinance isn’t to say ‘no’ to economic development,” Beauregard said. “We should welcome investment that creates jobs, strengthens our tax base, and benefits our community, but we also have a responsibility to protect our residents and ratepayers from developments that could drive up costs or place unreasonable demands on our infrastructure and natural resources.”
During the moratorium, the Department of Economic and Community Development, working with the City’s Legal Department and other appropriate departments, would study potential permanent regulations governing data centers. The review would specifically examine impacts on electricity costs and infrastructure; whether facilities should be required to provide dedicated or on-site sources of power; water consumption and protection of the City’s water supply; noise and air quality; appropriate locations and size limitations; permitting requirements; and potential employment, investment, and tax benefits.
The proposed ordinance would establish the moratorium for one year from its effective date or until the City adopts permanent zoning regulations governing data centers, whichever occurs first. The City Council could extend the moratorium once, for up to 180 additional days, if additional time is necessary to complete the zoning process.
The proposal also makes clear that the definition of a data center would not encompass ordinary computer servers, networking equipment, computer rooms, or similar technology that is incidental to another lawful principal use, ensuring that the moratorium is targeted specifically toward facilities whose principal use is large-scale data processing and computing infrastructure.
“A temporary moratorium gives Methuen the time to establish clear safeguards before decisions are made that could permanently affect residents, small businesses, and the city’s resources,” said Senator Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence). “Data centers can place enormous demands on electricity, water, infrastructure, and land, and the community deserves a meaningful voice in determining whether and under what conditions these projects move forward. I commend Mayor Beauregard for his proactive leadership, and I urge the City Council to support this responsible step to protect Methuen’s long-term interests.”
