Lowell, MA · Middlesex County · 42.633°N 71.316°W
Markley Group One Lowell Data Center
Markley Group
Key facts
- Location
- Lowell, MA, Middlesex County
- Capacity
- —
- Powered by
- Grid; 27 on-site diesel backup generators
- Announced
- 2015-01
- Last updated
Civic impact
Energy & water
- Energy source
- Grid
- Cooling
- Evaporative
- Water use
- 0.12 MGD
27 diesel generators (expanded from 7 original; 8 added in 2025 via DEP air permit); 16 cooling towers. Expansion moratorium passed by Lowell City Council April 2026.
16 evaporative cooling towers, Merrimack River-sourced. Markley self-reports daily use of 60,000-120,000 gallons (0.06-0.12 MGD), peaking ~118,000 gpd in summer, corroborated by WBZ-TV water-bill records - far below hyperscale AI campuses.
Public subsidies
- Lowell 20-year property & personal-property tax abatement (~$77M in foregone city taxes over 20 yrs; ~$12M net to the city)City of Lowell, MA · 2015
Community sentiment
Massachusetts' first data center lawsuit filed April 27, 2026 in Middlesex County Superior Court by Honest Future for Lowell (10 plaintiffs) represented by Yale Law School Environmental Justice Clinic, Fitch Law Partners, and Conservation Law Foundation. Plaintiffs allege unlawful permitting; facility sits 84 feet from closest diesel engine to residential properties. Sacred Heart and Back Central neighborhoods are designated environmental justice communities. One-year moratorium on expansion passed by Lowell City Council.
Lowell Residents File Massachusetts' First Lawsuit Against a Data CenterStatus history
- Operational
Markley Group One Lowell data center opens on site of former Prince Spaghetti factory; 352,000 sq ft, largest data center in Massachusetts
Lowell Residents File Massachusetts' First Lawsuit Against a Data Center - Operational
Massachusetts DEP approves air permit for 8 additional diesel generators (27 total); residents appeal permit
Lowell Residents File Massachusetts' First Lawsuit Against a Data Center - Operational
Lowell City Council passes one-year moratorium on data center construction and expansion; residents file first Massachusetts data center lawsuit
Lowell Residents File Massachusetts' First Lawsuit Against a Data Center
Location
Sources & data provenance
Confirmed: data verified against official filings, permits, or direct operator announcements.
Last updated:
- Boston.comRetrieved:
- The Harvard CrimsonRetrieved:
- CBS BostonRetrieved:
- Working MassRetrieved:
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