Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has signed a new executive order that she says will give residents a voice in the future development of data centers.
At a press conference Tuesday, the Democrat actively running for a second term in office said any new data centers in the commonwealth must have the support of host communities, or they will not be issued permits.
"Data centers have got to pay for their own clean energy and infrastructure," Healey said. "If they don't, they're going to have to pay into a ratepayer protection fund. We can't have data centers coming in and taking energy away from the rest of us. This is another way to make sure that they use clean energy, that we protect and insulate people from increased costs, and that every dollar collected from a data center on this will go back to ratepayers."
The order's third provision requires developers to prove any data center project will not harm the communities around them, and that they will provide localities with specific benefits.
