Data center ban exemption for institutional computing
At a glance
Based on human-uploaded captions; names may still contain errors.
- What: Whether the data center ban in Docket No. 1718 should explicitly exclude computing infrastructure used by hospitals, universities and research institutions.
- Where it stands: raised at the October 19, 2026 hearing; the amendment already distinguishes data centers from research laboratories and educational facilities, but health care and institutional groups asked for a clear exclusion before it advances.
- What's next: the sponsors and the Planning Department are expected to revise definitions; the hospitals' association offered to discuss details.
- Part of Proposed ban on data centers.
Positions
- Sam Cahill (Longwood Collective): asks that any amendment clearly exclude health care, academic research, clinical and institutional computing, including third-party hosting and co-location.
- Tish McMullen (Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals): asks for explicit exclusion of the infrastructure behind health records, diagnostic imaging, laboratory systems, cybersecurity and research computing, today and in the future.
- Ayse Coskun: local "edge" computing is needed for low-latency uses, laboratory connections and sensitive data; hyperscale is usually 50 MW or more; hospital and university loads are far smaller.
- Councilor Flynn and Chair Durkan stressed that downtown data centers serve hospitals and universities and that the policy should not hamper the innovation economy.
- Kate Richard cautioned against giving hospitals a free pass.
Open questions
- Why hospital and university data is held off site (McMullen to follow up).
- The city has not tracked where institutional computing centers are located.
Sources
State context
State-level rules, including Executive Order 658 and a statewide list of local moratoriums and bylaws, are on Massachusetts Data Center Policy.
Discussion time
About 15 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-19 - Planning, Development and Transportation Committee | 15 |
Log
- 2026-10-19 - 2026-10-19 - Planning, Development and Transportation Committee - Testimony and panel discussion asking that health care, research and institutional computing be excluded from the ban.