Easthampton MA 18-month data center moratorium (2026)
Easthampton, MA — City Council Amends the Zoning Ordinance to Impose an 18-Month Moratorium on New Data Center Construction (October 7, 2026)
Easthampton, MA · Easthampton, Mass. Zoning Ordinance amendment — temporary data center moratorium (passed 2026-10-07)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Expires
- April 7, 2028
- Applies to
- Developers of new data centers in Easthampton
- Enforced by
- City of Easthampton (Building Commissioner / Planning Board)
Easthampton's City Council voted on October 7, 2026 to stop new data center construction for 18 months while the city writes permanent rules. The pause is written into the city's zoning ordinance. It covers buildings used mainly for computer servers, cryptocurrency mining and AI infrastructure, but not small server rooms under 2,500 square feet, and it still lets existing equipment be repaired, replaced or modestly expanded. No data center is proposed in Easthampton. During the pause, the council's ordinance subcommittee and the Planning Board will draft rules on permits, water use, noise and energy demand.
Who is protected: Easthampton residents
Legal detail
City of Easthampton, Mass. (Hampshire County) — ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT adding a TEMPORARY 18-MONTH MORATORIUM on new data center construction, passed by the City Council on WEDNESDAY night (Daily Hampshire Gazette, 2026-10-08, i.e., 2026-10-07). PRIOR STEPS: Planning Board approved unanimously in September 2026; council ordinance subcommittee (chair Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid) recommended. DEFINITION: 'a building or group of buildings used primarily to run technology such as computer systems, servers, cryptocurrency mining equipment and artificial intelligence infrastructure.' EXEMPTIONS: accessory equipment under 2,500 sq ft; replacement, repair and limited expansion of existing equipment. WORK PLAN: ordinance subcommittee and Planning Board to study permanent regulations — permitting criteria, water use, noise, energy demand. Vote count not reported. expires_date COMPUTED as 18 months from passage. Mayoral action not reported.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Easthampton, MA |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | October 7, 2026 |
| Citation | Easthampton, Mass. Zoning Ordinance amendment — temporary data center moratorium (passed 2026-10-07) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located source |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Easthampton approves 18-month moratorium on data centers — Daily Hampshire Gazette (Oct. 8, 2026) |
More AI rules in Easthampton, MA
- Easthampton Face Surveillance Ban · 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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