Town Opens Hearing on Data Center Moratorium
Southbridge held a joint hearing on draft solar, battery storage and data center zoning, drawing overwhelming opposition to data centers.
Town Council and Planning Board Joint Hearing · Meeting of September 16, 2026
Southbridge held a joint hearing on draft solar, battery storage and data center zoning, drawing overwhelming opposition to data centers. Planning Board Chair Dave Payer and Vice Chair Mike Loin presented a three-tier battery storage bylaw requiring fire chief sign-off, ahead of an October 6 state deadline for default rules. More than twenty residents spoke against a future data center, including IT engineer Stephanie Rivers, who said facility noise reaches "105 dBA" outside large sites.
Resident Rick Stoddard called for a ban on nondisclosure agreements with data center firms and a 55-decibel noise cap. Councilor Daniel said he would "not vote to support any kind of a facility like that." No votes were taken; the moratorium and both bylaws still require three town council readings.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,513 words
Source: the Town Council and Planning Board Joint Hearing meeting of September 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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