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.
City of Holyoke
Strongly Anti-Data Center Policies
Holyoke bars new data centers in all city zoning districts, while allowing the existing MGHPCC facility to continue operating up to 12 MW.
current law · City of HolyokeProhibits data centers in all Holyoke zoning districts, while allowing the Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center to continue operating up to 12 MW.Holyoke zoning ordinance prohibiting new data centers (2026)
What this means
As written, the measure would ban data centers in every Holyoke zoning district, preventing new facilities from being built. It preserves a limited exception for the existing MGHPCC facility to continue operating up to 12 MW, but that does not change the citywide ban on new data centers (citywide ban; 12 MW exception).
People behind it
- Mimi Panitch
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
- Israel Rivera
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
- Jenny Rivera
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
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- Anne Thalheimer
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
- Richard P. Purcell
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
- Juan Anderson-Burgos
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
- Meg Magrath-Smith
Named sponsor of the order to define data centers as a zoning use and prohibit them in all city zoning districts.
- Ordinance Committee
Reviewed and recommended adoption of the amended data-center prohibition.
- Planning Board
Provided a recommendation to approve the data-center ban.
- Mayor Joshua Garcia
Signed the City Council's data-center ban ordinance into law.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements2
Defines “data center” as a distinct zoning use and prohibits that use in every zoning district citywide, preventing new commercial data centers from being built. banning them from every zoning district citywide
Allows the existing Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center to continue operating as a permitted use only up to 12 megawatts; expansion beyond that threshold would not qualify for the exception.
Benefits & exceptionsHide benefits & exceptions3
The Massachusetts Green High-Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) may continue operating as a permitted use, with the carveout limited to up to 12 MW.
Existing data centers are protected as preexisting nonconforming uses, allowing them to continue operating even though new data centers are prohibited.
Facilities where data-center functions are only an ancillary use are not barred, because the prohibition applies to data centers as the primary use.
Sources
Data provided by Regbase · Cookie preferences · Report missing data