Holyoke, Massachusetts recently became the first city in the state to ban new data centers, but it carved out a notable exception: the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC), which has operated there for over a decade. The facility escaped the backlash facing other data center proposals across the region by demonstrating that large-scale computing infrastructure can operate with minimal environmental impact when designed intentionally from the start.

The MGHPCC serves as a research hub for major universities including Harvard, MIT, Yale, Northeastern University, Boston University, and the UMass system. Graduate students and professors use its computing power for work like genome sequencing and disease mapping. Unlike the mega-scale AI data centers now proliferating across the country, the Holyoke facility operates almost entirely on carbon-free power and was engineered for maximum energy efficiency from inception.

What Makes This Data Center Different From Others?

The key to the MGHPCC's environmental performance lies in deliberate design choices made across multiple systems. The facility's location in Holyoke was specifically chosen because approximately 90% of the city's electricity comes from carbon-free sources, including hydroelectricity, nuclear power, and solar energy. The remaining 10% is offset through carbon credits. The center also has backup diesel generators on-site, which staff operate monthly for testing purposes following federal environmental guidelines.

Cooling represents the largest energy demand in any data center, since computers generate intense heat while processing data continuously. The MGHPCC allows its server room to reach approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit, warmer than typical facilities, to reduce air conditioning costs. Cold water circulates through ducts laid across computer components to draw away heat, then flows to a separate room where it is cooled and recycled. This approach consumes between 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of water daily, roughly equivalent to a small hotel's usage.

During New England's cooler months, which span about eight months annually, the facility requires no mechanical chillers; outside air alone cools the water sufficiently. The data center draws up to 12 megawatts of power from the grid but currently uses less than that amount, enough to power approximately 6,000 households. This is substantially smaller than the massive AI data centers being built elsewhere, which consume tens to hundreds of times more power.

In 2013, the facility received the highest energy efficiency rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The center was also built on a remediated brownfield site, with developers cleaning up hazardous materials left behind by a former mill.

Why Haven't Other Data Centers Adopted These Practices?

The energy efficiency strategies employed at the MGHPCC are not new or proprietary. Benjamin Lee, a computer engineer at the University of Pennsylvania who studies sustainability for AI at Google, described the Holyoke center's approach as industry "best practice." Major technology companies like Microsoft and Google have been using similar efficiency measures for years, though not primarily for environmental reasons.

"They were doing it from the perspective of wanting to pay less on an electricity bill," said Benjamin Lee, computer engineer at the University of Pennsylvania.

Benjamin Lee, Computer Engineer, University of Pennsylvania

The barrier to widespread adoption is economic and competitive pressure. Energy efficiency measures require higher upfront capital investment and extend project timelines. Developers often prioritize speed to market over long-term savings, particularly in the race to build AI infrastructure capacity.

"There's this fear of missing out, of not building enough capacity and having someone else get ahead of you in this AI race," explained Lee.

Benjamin Lee, Computer Engineer, University of Pennsylvania

John Goodhue, executive director of the MGHPCC, noted that the founding universities were not under the same time pressure as commercial developers. "I think when you're in a hurry to build out infrastructure, it's harder to make choices that slow things down," he stated.

How Did the MGHPCC Gain Community Support?

The facility's acceptance in Holyoke stems from multiple factors beyond environmental performance. The nonprofit-operated center helped revitalize a declining area of the city, provides coding programs for local children, and makes annual payments to the city in lieu of taxes. Holyoke City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti noted that the center has been "historically good neighbors" and that many residents were unaware the facility even existed, given its minimal environmental footprint.

The contrast with other proposed data centers in the region is stark. Communities from Lowell to Everett have mobilized against new data center projects, citing concerns about water consumption, electricity demand, fossil fuel reliance, and noise pollution. A report from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab estimated that the boom in AI servers has tripled data center power demand over the past decade, with projections showing demand will double again by 2028.

Steps to Building Environmentally Responsible Data Centers

• Secure Clean Energy Sources: Locate facilities in regions where the electrical grid is powered predominantly by renewable or nuclear energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and enabling carbon neutrality through offsets.
• Optimize Cooling Systems: Allow server rooms to operate at higher temperatures and use recycled water cooling loops with mechanical chillers only during peak demand, minimizing energy consumption for temperature control.
• Plan for Long-Term Efficiency: Accept longer development timelines and higher initial capital costs to implement energy-saving measures rather than prioritizing rapid deployment and capacity expansion.
• Engage Local Communities: Provide tangible benefits to host communities through tax payments, local hiring, educational programs, and transparent communication about environmental practices and monitoring.
• Remediate Environmental Damage: Build on brownfield sites where possible, cleaning up hazardous materials and contributing to neighborhood revitalization rather than consuming undeveloped land.

What Policy Changes Are Emerging?

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recently signed an executive order requiring state agencies to obtain local municipal approval before permitting new data centers. The order also directs agencies to require developers to follow a framework Healey launched earlier in the summer, which calls for developers to "bring your own clean energy" and provide benefits to host communities.

However, Barbara Kates-Garnick, professor of practice in energy policy at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, cautioned that such frameworks, while well-intentioned, face implementation challenges. "All of these are great concepts," she noted, "but the devil is in the details".

The MGHPCC's success demonstrates that environmentally responsible data centers are technically feasible and can operate at meaningful scale. Whether commercial developers will adopt similar practices depends on whether regulatory requirements and community pressure outweigh the competitive incentives to build quickly and cheaply. The Holyoke model suggests that when those incentives align, sustainable AI infrastructure is achievable.