Massachusetts becomes third state to restrict data centers

Massachusetts became the third state in three months to restrict data center development, issuing new clean power requirements on September 9, per TechCrunch.

Three states restricting data centers in three months is a fast clip. It means state power and siting rules are arriving while many buildouts are still underway.

MIT Technology Review made a related argument the same week. It pointed to a July 22 transmission fault near Ashburn that dropped more than 3 gigawatts of load in seconds. The magazine argued the problem is architectural, not a shortage of power plants.

Neither report proves AI data centers are short on power. Massachusetts responded with a new clean power requirement. The Ashburn fault is a grid operations problem. Both surfaced within weeks of each other, evidence that infrastructure and permitting are moving on a different clock than the buildouts already underway.

TechCrunch's report doesn't say whether the new requirements apply to data centers already under construction or only to proposals filed after September 9.