Massachusetts Campaign Seeks Voter Approval for Data Centers
A campaign to restrict data center development in Massachusetts is seeking support for a 2028 ballot question that would be contingent on at least two-thirds of voters in a host community voting in favor. The proposal would also set rules for electricity, water use, public disclosure and facility oversight. It comes as the Kraft Group pursues a proposed $16 billion data center campus in Sutton, which could include 10 buildings and use 900 megawatts of power.
The measure would bar permits unless an electricity supplier agreed not to shift costs to other customers and committed to supplying the facility with enough renewable power without reducing what is available to others. Water suppliers would have to certify that a project would not materially harm service to existing customers, and operators would need drought plans. The proposal also calls for public online access to permitting documents and gives the state auditor authority to review data centers and their utility suppliers.
The Committee to Restrict Data Centers has not begun collecting signatures for the first available deadline. Its chair, Jim Fleming, said organizers have until next fall to pursue the initial signature threshold for the 2028 ballot. If enough signatures are gathered, lawmakers would have until early May 2028 to act; supporters would need another round of signatures if the Legislature did not pass the proposal.
The petition would go beyond Governor Maura Healey’s September executive order, which directs state agencies to develop policies on electricity, water, environmental effects and community benefits for certain large projects. The order calls for community benefit agreements, but does not require a community-wide vote. Democratic state Sen. John Velis supports the campaign, citing residents’ concerns about electricity costs, water use, environmental uncertainty and noise.
Massachusetts Voters Could Gain a Say Over Data Center Growth
Massachusetts residents could gain a decisive say over data center projects under a campaign announced November 12, 2026. Its proposed 2028 ballot measure would require two-thirds approval from voters in a host community, alongside rules intended to prevent facilities from shifting electricity costs to other customers and straining local water supplies.
The proposal arrives as the Kraft Group pursues a $16 billion data center campus in Sutton, potentially comprising 10 buildings and using 900 megawatts of power. The petition would require electricity suppliers to provide sufficient renewable energy without taking renewable power away from others. Water suppliers would have to certify that existing systems could serve a facility without materially harming customers, while operators would need plans to reduce water use during droughts.
The campaign’s supporters, including Democratic state Sen. John Velis, point to concerns about bills, environmental uncertainty, water use and noise. The petition would also make permitting documents public online and allow the state auditor to examine data centers and their utility suppliers. These requirements put local accountability and ratepayer protections at the center of decisions with potentially significant community effects.
Governor Maura Healey’s September executive order directs state agencies to develop policies addressing power, water, environmental effects and community benefits for certain large facilities. It calls for community benefit agreements, but does not require a community-wide vote. The campaign has not started collecting signatures for the first available deadline; its chair says organizers can pursue the initial threshold next fall, with a possible legislative decision by May 2028 if enough signatures are gathered.
Ballot Campaign Would Add Extensive Rules for Data Centers
A proposed Massachusetts ballot measure would place a sweeping set of new conditions on data center projects, including a two-thirds vote in the host community. The campaign announced November 12, 2026, says it is seeking a path to the 2028 ballot, even as the Kraft Group pursues a $16 billion campus in Sutton that could use 900 megawatts of power.
The petition would require electricity suppliers to guarantee enough renewable power for a facility without reducing renewable energy available to others, and prevent costs from being shifted to other customers. It would also require water-system certifications, drought plans, public online disclosure of permitting documents and state audits of facilities and utility suppliers. Municipalities could require a facility to stop operating until certain violations were corrected.
The measure’s reach extends beyond Governor Maura Healey’s September executive order, which directs state agencies to develop policies on power, water, environmental impacts and community benefits for certain large data centers. The order calls for community benefit agreements but does not require a community-wide vote. The petition would apply at a lower electricity-demand threshold than the order and would require an election after a community announces its permitting decision and releases documents.
The campaign has not begun collecting signatures for the first available deadline. Chair Jim Fleming says organizers can pursue the initial threshold next fall, leaving time to build support and potentially revise the proposal. If enough signatures are collected, lawmakers would have until early May 2028 to act; the campaign says legislative action could end the ballot effort. The proposal therefore puts pressure on lawmakers to address the issue while adding a substantial regulatory framework to the debate.
Reported by CBS Boston, The Boston Globe.
