A citizen initiative filed in Massachusetts would require developers to meet electricity and water safeguards and then secure local voter approval—two-thirds in favor—before a data center permit could proceed. If the attorney general clears the petition by Sept. 2, supporters could gather the 74,574 signatures needed to pursue a spot on the November 2028 ballot. The measure reflects concerns about data centers’ demands on electricity and water and follows a 2024 tax break aimed at attracting such facilities.
Massachusetts Petition Would Give Local Voters Final Approval Over New Data Centers, Require Utility Safeguards
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Massachusetts residents could gain direct control over whether new data centers open in their communities under a recently filed citizen initiative, according to reporting by Ballotpedia.
What the Petition Would Do
The initiative would bar local permitting authorities from approving data center projects unless developers first meet specified electricity- and water-related safeguards and then win approval from local voters. The draft measure requires developers to demonstrate three conditions before a local permit can move forward:
- A contract to protect utility customers from bearing higher electricity costs tied to the facility.
- Evidence that the facility’s water demand can be accommodated within the current system capacity.
- A drought-response plan addressing how the facility will respond during water shortages.
Even if those conditions are satisfied, the petition would permit approval only if two-thirds of local voters support the project in a public vote.
Timing And Process
Ballotpedia reported that a Massachusetts resident filed the petition with the state Election Division. If the attorney general’s office clears the petition language by Sept. 2, supporters can begin collecting the 74,574 signatures required to attempt to place the measure on the November 2028 ballot.
Policy Context
The filing comes after Massachusetts lawmakers passed a 2024 sales-and-use tax exemption designed to attract data center investment. To qualify for that incentive, a project must meet all of the following: at least $50 million in construction or refurbishment, creation or support of at least 100 Massachusetts jobs, and occupy at least 100,000 square feet across one or more buildings.
On June 25, Governor Maura Healey announced the state would pause taking applications for the tax exemption while officials consider stronger protections before deciding whether to extend the incentive.
How This Fits Into A Broader Trend
Concerns about large data centers center on their significant electricity and water demands and the potential for higher household utility bills, strained local water supplies, and stress during drought conditions. The Massachusetts petition is the second statewide citizen-initiated ballot effort in the U.S. focused specifically on data centers. In March, the advocacy group Conserve Ohio filed a proposal that would bar construction of data centers for digital data processing if combined power demand exceeds 25 megawatts; the group has said it will target the 2027 ballot.
Local governments are also a battleground: nine local ballot measures related to data centers had been certified for the 2026 ballot nationwide, and of the four local measures decided so far, each has imposed some limits on development.
What’s Next
If the Massachusetts petition clears the attorney general review and moves through signature gathering, it would add a formal layer of public oversight—and a high voting threshold—before new data centers could be permitted in affected communities. Supporters say this increases accountability and protects local utilities and water resources; opponents generally argue such measures could hinder economic development and complicate state efforts to attract tech investment.
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