Council questions Markley data center diesel storage and community transparency; staff seeks quarterly reporting

City sustainability staff updated the Lowell Sustainability Council on ongoing conversations with Markley, a large data center operator, about on-site emergency generation, diesel storage and neighborhood concerns. Catherine said Markley had sought authorization and permitting steps for emergency generators and fuel storage and that the city council required Markley to work with the sustainability division as a condition of permitting activity.

Catherine told the council she had reviewed Markley’s application materials and permits filed with state regulators and that Markley’s estimate of emissions from its emergency generators is less than 1% (one speaker later referenced 0.04% as an example figure) of Lowell’s overall emissions, based on assumptions in the facility’s filings. She emphasized the estimate assumes monthly testing and only limited deployment for emergency events.

Council members voiced concerns about cumulative impacts in nearby environmental-justice neighborhoods and said the city needs more transparency on Markley’s operations, noise mitigation, diesel handling and timeline for equipment upgrades. Members requested details on frequency of on-site testing, diesel storage capacity and whether Markley had considered alternatives such as low-carbon fuels, fuel cells or energy storage. Catherine said Markley reported limits on local feedstock availability for hydrotreated vegetable oil and that fuel-cell options would likely require additional on-site LNG storage and were not presently feasible for the facility’s load profile.

Catherine said she had asked Markley for quarterly meetings, a noise-attenuation timeline and greater neighbor engagement; Markley agreed to meet quarterly. She also noted the state’s large-building energy reporting requirement will publicly publish energy-use data for large facilities later in the year, which will yield more precise figures on Markley’s consumption and allow comparison to citywide totals.

Council members asked staff to seek more transparency and to push Markley to develop a clear transition plan to reduce on-site diesel reliance, explore fuel alternatives and share monitoring data with neighbors. Some members suggested installing air-quality and noise monitors as part of neighborhood oversight. Staff said regulatory enforcement remains with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for air-quality compliance, but the city can press for better disclosure, neighbor communication and mitigation measures through licensing conditions and local agreements.

The sustainability division said it will continue quarterly engagement with Markley and will report back on noise attenuation, fuel-handling plans and any measurable changes to operations.