If you watch a movie, send an email, or put your photos in the cloud, there is a data center involved. With the rise of AI, there is more need for data storage and that means more power and more water. So, more Massachusetts communities are saying they don’t want them.

Data centers are growing increasingly unpopular. How unpopular? Polling shows people would rather live near a nuclear power plant. A Gallup poll found 71% of Americans would oppose a data center being built near their home and 53% would oppose a nuclear reactor.  

Communities across the country have been fighting to stop the construction of mega sized data centers used to power the future of artificial intelligence.

In Massachusetts, several projects have been put on hold. The city of Lowell recently passed a one-year moratorium to stop the building or expansion of data centers. Lowell is the site of the largest data center in the state.

Markley data center in Lowell

The Markley data center is a mammoth building. It was built by Markley in 2015 on the site of an old Prince Spaghetti factory. Markley cleaned up the lot, painted the building black and set up a complex digital warehouse which stores data from more than a hundred customers ranging from hospitals to universities to police stations.

Like all things data center, this one comes with controversy. Jake Fortes lives in his childhood home where he takes care of his elderly parents. The data center, about 100 feet away, dwarfs his home.

Fortes says the building has nicknames including the “dungeon” and the “Death Star.”

“It’s nicknamed by a lot of residents in the neighborhood the dungeon,” Fortes said. “Because it seriously is just this black building that looms over us.”

Fortes said the rows of industrial air conditioners on the roof of the data center constantly hum and he claims exhaust from the four metal chimneys that rise from the data center’s emergency generators flow toward his bedroom windows.

“You will hear the A/C units. That’s a constant. And it’s worse in the summer,” Fortes said.

Markley has two data centers in Massachusetts. They built their first on top of Macy’s in downtown Boston in 2013.

From Lowell to Los Angeles, there are coast to coast concerns about what these data centers can do to the environment. From the massive amount of energy they use, to the incredible amount of water they need to keep the equipment from overheating. Some large data centers can use up to five million gallons of water every day. But the owners of the Lowell data center say it is not a drain on resources.

WBZ-TV’s David Wade asked Markley for tour of the data center, which they never do, and they agreed. They have grown frustrated with the negative narrative of data centers across the country and wanted to show they are different than the huge data centers built solely for AI companies.

Markley’s corporate VP Adam Burnham took him around the 350,000 square foot facility. The front entrance is teeming with a few dozen people, filled with colorful artwork and a TV monitor showing old video of a train that used to run through the property.

Beyond that there are long hallways with white tile floors and white walls that lead to rooms full of loud machines taking in, transforming and distributing large amounts of electricity throughout the building. How much electricity? Markley doesn’t say. Most data centers don’t. It’s why some lawmakers like Senator Elizabeth Warren are calling for more transparency from all data centers. But Markley’s Boston location boasts up to 30 megawatts of power, which is comparable to what tens of thousands of homes could use at any given time.

“Many petabytes” of data

There is a constant hum from the air conditioning machinery that helps to cool down the racks of servers. 

How many servers are in the building? “There must be thousands,” Burnham said. “From hundreds of different customers.”

And how much data is that? “It would be hard to even quantify it. To use technical terms, it would be petabytes,” Burnham said. “Many petabytes for many customers.”

You have heard of megabytes and gigabytes but what is a petabyte? Well, just one petabyte is equal to roughly 250 million high resolution photos or the storage capacity of 250,000 smartphones or 13 years’ worth of continuous high-definition movies.

Markley says it stores data from all different types of companies. Financial companies, life science companies, universities, public safety companies. All those servers need lots of water to feed the system that keeps them cool.

How much water is used? 

Some data centers use millions of gallons of water every single day. Markley says over the past year, they have used between 60,000 and 120,000 gallons of water per day. Those numbers match up with some of their water bills that WBZ was able to obtain.

Besides the effect on water and power, another criticism of data centers is once construction is done, they don’t create many jobs. Markley brought Lou Antonellis, a representative from the IBEW, an electrical workers union, to our shoot. Wade asked how many union workers he had working inside the building.

“Right now, it’s a little bit of a slow period. Probably about a dozen,” Antonellis said. That’s it. A dozen. Antonellis said there were also another dozen pipe fitters inside. He said there can be 80-100 workers when there’s a big project on site.

Hopes to expand in Lowell

But Antonellis and the IBEW say they really want Markley to expand. New buildings mean new construction jobs. WBZ learned Markley has been buying more land nearby with hopes of expanding, including an old power plant up the road. But they have a problem. The city of Lowell recently voted for a one-year moratorium on data centers. It means no new building, and no expansion.

On the final stop on the tour, the Markley people wanted to show the emergency generators that neighbors have complained about.

An hour earlier, Jake Fortes, the neighbor who calls the building the Death Star, had predicted they would take David Wade to the generators, and it would be less noisy than usual.

“Usually when they detect that there’s a reporter coming, they will turn it off and it will go very quiet and you will hear the birds,” Fortes said.

When they took David Wade to the emergency generators, which they fire up for a test every week for five minutes, you could barely hear the machines over the sounds of chirping birds.

“So, it’s not under a complete load, but this is the typical noise you’re going to get,” Burnham said.

Wade asked if the generators weren’t running at “full load” were they running at 20%, 50%, 80%?  They couldn’t answer.

Then Wade asked if he thought neighbors had been exaggerating about the noise at the data center and the answer was clear. “I think they’re exaggerating, yes,” Burnham said. 

If you have a question you’d like us to look into, please email questioneverything@cbsboston.com.

BOSTON (WWLP) – Gov. Maura Healey announced on Wednesday a comprehensive statewide initiative to reduce wrong-way driving incidents across Massachusetts.

The program combines advanced detection technology, enhanced roadway signage, infrastructure improvements and targeted safety upgrades to improve road safety and prevent tragedies.

The multi-year effort will focus on more than 500 high-risk locations across the state where drivers may be more likely to enter roadways in the wrong direction. Once complete, Mass. aims to have one of the strongest wrong-way prevention and detection programs in the country.

Jonathan Gulliver, undersecretary and state highway administrator, stated, “This plan combines detection, prevention and infrastructure improvements that are already underway and will continue over the next few years. Detection measures include technology that provides real-time alerts and warnings when wrong-way driving is identified, while enhanced signage and pavement markings will help clearly guide drivers and prevent these incidents from occurring in the first place.”

Gov. Maura Healey highlighted the human cost of wrong-way crashes. “We’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact that wrong-way driving crashes can have on families, law enforcement and communities across Massachusetts,” Gov. Healey said. “People deserve to be safe on our roads and we’re taking action. By investing in new technology, stronger safety measures and targeted infrastructure improvements, we’re working to prevent these crashes before they happen and help save lives.”

Lieutenant Gov. Kim Driscoll emphasized the safety benefits for all road users. “Every person who gets behind the wheel should be able to get where they’re going safely,” Lieutenant Gov. Driscoll said. “These investments will help us prevent wrong-way driving incidents, strengthen coordination with first responders and make our transportation system safer for drivers, passengers and families across Massachusetts.”

MassDOT will retrofit approximately 430 existing signalized intersections and mainline camera systems statewide. This new wrong-way detection technology will identify wrong-way movements and provide real-time alerts to transportation officials and law enforcement. New hardware will be installed within existing signal cabinets to enable data collection, detection and notification capabilities. Following installation, the systems will be integrated with activated warning measures, including illuminated signs with flashing LEDs designed to alert drivers before they enter a highway in the wrong direction.

Safety upgrades are also being implemented at highway ramps and interchanges statewide. These upgrades include enhanced WRONG WAY and DO NOT ENTER signage, improved pavement markings, directional arrows and lighting improvements designed to reduce driver confusion.

MassDOT is also piloting next-generation wrong-way detection technologies at locations without existing infrastructure. Data collected from these pilots will identify areas requiring more significant roadway improvements, such as curb and island realignment, ramp reconfiguration to clarify driving paths and channelization enhancements.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Republican from Gloucester, noted the urgency of the action. “Today our state embarks on a mission to use those tools and make our highways safer for everyone who travels on them,” Sen. Tarr said. “While we are working toward the final passage of legislation to codify a state plan in statute, the steps announced today will begin making a difference as soon as they are taken.”

The initiative also acknowledges the severe impact of past incidents. Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble spoke about the personal toll on law enforcement. “The Massachusetts State Police continue to mourn the loss of Trooper Kevin Trainor, who gave his life while attempting to stop a wrong-way driver,” Col. Noble said. “His sacrifice is a solemn reminder of the dangers our Troopers confront every day in their mission to protect the public. While our men and women continue to respond courageously to dangerous driving incidents, these roadway improvements and investments in technology will provide another critical tool to help prevent tragedies and ensure that everyone makes it home safely.”

Sen. Joan B. Lovely, a Democrat from Salem, mentioned specific local impacts. “Our district has felt the cost of wrong-way driving in the most painful way, with the loss of Trooper Trainor and a second trooper struck on the same stretch of Route 1 weeks later,” Sen. Lovely said. “I am grateful to Gov. Healey for taking real action. This plan reflects the prevention we fought for in the Senate’s FY2027 budget and I will keep pushing to bring these safety measures to corridors like Route 1 so other families are spared this grief.”

Brian Williams, president of the State Police Association of MA, praised the proactive approach. “Entering a divided highway in the wrong direction is a reckless, lethal act,” Williams said. “We appreciate Gov. Healey’s proactive leadership in launching this advanced early detection initiative. Combining this tech-driven approach with enacting an expanded Move Over law will create the comprehensive safety net needed to protect our members and everyone on Massachusetts roads.”

Retired Chief Michael Bradley Jr., executive director of the Massachusetts Chief of Police Association, also voiced support for the solutions. “Wrong-way driving incidents are among the most dangerous events on our roadways, often resulting in tragic consequences for motorists, passengers and first responders,” Bradley said. “The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association applauds Gov. Healey, MassDOT and our legislative partners for investing in proactive solutions that will help prevent these crashes and save lives.”

Improvements are already underway, with additional installations expected to begin in the coming weeks. The installations for the new detection technology will occur throughout 2026 and 2027. MassDOT will continue to evaluate roadway conditions, collect data and identify opportunities to further reduce wrong-way driving incidents across Massachusetts.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat information into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLP staff before being published.