Greenfield Committee Reviews Draft Ordinances to Regulate Data Centers Amid Energy Acquisition Concerns

Other Committee · Meeting of June 9, 2026

Greenfield's Economic Development Committee moved toward data center zoning regulations after a fellow councillor presented two draft ordinances at the June 9 meeting. Councillor Bolduc, appearing before the committee as a guest presenter, laid out statistics showing U.S. data centers consumed as much energy as Pakistan in 2024 and said Hull Street Energy's agreement to acquire First Light — which controls the 1,168-megawatt Northfield Mountain pumped-storage hydro facility — made local action urgent. Her first draft would impose a 360-day moratorium on new data center construction while the city studies the issue, with a two-thirds City Council vote able to extend the pause 180 days; her second draft creates a tiered special-permit framework modeled on ordinances in Lowell and Mansfield, with mandatory disclosure of electrical load, water usage, backup generators, and regular compliance reviews.

"We don't want to become a farm for energy for some other consumption," Bolduc said. The committee agreed on two immediate next steps: consulting the Planning Director on whether passing the moratorium first could complicate the broader zoning ordinance, and bringing both drafts to the Planning Board for parallel review. Community and Economic Development Director Andrea Kalen separately reported that the Hope Street RFP is still in internal review, the First National Bank building RFP closes June 26, and the city submitted four state grant applications the prior week covering downtown parking wayfinding, master plan updates, sewer work at Country Estates, and vacant storefront tax credits.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,381 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of June 9, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.