Boston MA proposed citywide data center zoning ban (2026)
Boston, MA — Councilor Miniard Culpepper Proposes a Zoning Code Amendment Prohibiting New Data Centers Citywide; Existing Facilities Grandfathered but Barred From Expanding (September 2026)
Boston, MA · Boston City Council — Culpepper zoning amendment proposal to prohibit new data centers (Sept. 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Developers of new data centers and operators seeking to expand existing data centers in Boston (if adopted)
- Enforced by
- Boston Zoning Commission; Boston Inspectional Services Department
Boston City Councilor Miniard Culpepper has proposed changing Boston's zoning code so that no new data centers can be built anywhere in the city. The ban would cover facilities for data storage, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and cloud computing. Existing data centers, including Markley Group's 30-megawatt facility in Downtown Crossing, could keep running but could not expand. Businesses, telecom companies and research labs could still run servers for their own use. No data center is currently proposed in Boston. The proposal still needs approval from the Boston Zoning Commission.
Who is protected: Boston residents and ratepayers
Legal detail
City of Boston — PROPOSED ZONING CODE AMENDMENT by Councilor MINIARD CULPEPPER, raised at the Wednesday council meeting reported by WBUR on 2026-09-18 (i.e., 2026-09-16). SCOPE: prohibits NEW facilities housing equipment for digital data management, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency and cloud computing anywhere in the city. EXISTING FACILITIES may continue operating but may NOT EXPAND (the ~30 MW Markley Group Downtown Crossing facility, operating since 1998, would be grandfathered). CARVE-OUT: businesses, telecommunications companies and research labs may operate servers for their own operations. PROCESS: requires Boston Zoning Commission approval to take effect (Boston zoning is under the Boston Zoning Code/Enabling Act, not G.L. c. 40A). No docket number located. CONTEXT: follows Massachusetts EO 658 responsible data center development (2026) giving municipalities authority over large data center approvals.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Boston, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | Boston City Council — Culpepper zoning amendment proposal to prohibit new data centers (Sept. 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not applicable — proposal |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Boston data center ban proposal — WBUR (Sept. 18, 2026) |
More AI rules in Boston, MA
- Boston surveillance ordinance amendment proposal (2026) · Proposed / pending
- Boston GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- Boston Public Schools · In effect
- Boston Interim GenAI Guidelines · In effect
- Boston Face Surveillance Ban · In effect
- Ordinance on Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing · In effect
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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