The Data Center Divide
A policy snapshot ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mapping data center incentives, restrictions, and bans through legislation, regulations, and executive actions across all 50 states and 1,462 local jurisdictions.
Town of Chelmsford
Mixed Data Center Policies
Massachusetts requires covered data-center projects above 25 megawatts to meet community-benefit and environmental safeguards for permits, while qualifying large projects can receive conditional tax breaks. Grid initiatives may support reliability, but their benefits are indirect; applications for the tax incentive are currently paused.
Rating and summary from Massachusetts statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Town of Chelmsford.
pending · Town of ChelmsfordLimits data centers by allowing small accessory facilities in commercial and industrial zones and small standalone facilities by special permit in industrial zones, while prohibiting medium and large facilities.Chelmsford draft data-center zoning standards (2026)
What this means
The proposal would bar medium and large data centers and limit small facilities to narrow size and power thresholds, with small centers requiring a special permit in industrial districts (medium and large data centers are not allowed). Accessory small centers could still operate in commercial and industrial areas, so this is not a complete ban, but building or expanding larger facilities would be substantially harder.
People behind it
- Planning Board
Submitted Article 23, which proposed adding data center definitions and zoning regulations to Chelmsford’s bylaws.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements4
Accessory small data centers are limited to facilities under 20,000 square feet and no more than 1 MW, must serve only a permitted principal use in the same building, and may not have external infrastructure dedicated exclusively to the data center. They are allowed only in the listed commercial and industrial districts. Accessory-use limits
A Small Data Center must be under 20,000 square feet, draw no more than 1 MW, and have no associated external infrastructure; it is allowed only by special permit in the IA and IS industrial districts. Small Data Center use table
Medium Data Centers—under 75,000 square feet and no more than 3 MW—and Large Data Centers—over 3 MW—are not allowed in any zoning district. Medium and Large Data Center entries
Associated external infrastructure serving a Small Data Center must be at least 500 feet from a residential zoning district boundary. 500-foot setback provision
Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions2
Accessory small data centers are allowed in commercial and industrial districts, provided they serve the principal use, are in the same building, use no more than 1 MW, occupy less than 20,000 square feet, and have no external infrastructure dedicated exclusively to them. The accessory-small category and its limits
Small data centers may seek a Planning Board special permit in the IA and IS industrial districts. The warrant defines them as under 20,000 square feet, with electrical demand no greater than 1 MW and no associated external infrastructure. Small Data Center use and definition
Sources
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