The IBEW is calling on all New England members to mobilize now and urge state legislators to oppose any statewide bans or moratoriums on data center construction and to instead support responsible development with strong labor standards.  

In New England and across the country, state legislators are considering proposals to halt, delay, or severely restrict new data center projects. These moratoriums threaten to block billions of dollars in potential investment and will eliminate critical job opportunities for IBEW members.  

This issue is especially important in New England, where communities are missing out on the economic benefits of data center development that is occurring in other areas. If statewide bans are implemented, New England will lose countless jobs and infrastructure investments created by the current boom in AI technology.

New Englanders should be benefitting from these valuable projects. When built responsibly, data centers can generate local tax revenue, strengthen apprenticeship programs, support much-needed energy infrastructure investment, and create thousands of high-quality union jobs for skilled workers.  

Why this matters to the IBEW:

• Bans eliminate good-paying union construction jobs across New England
• Data centers create substantial work opportunities for electrical workers in industries tied to AI and energy buildout
• Strong labor standards on data centers will raise wages, improve working conditions, and protect local workers
• Investment in union apprenticeship and training programs helps build the next generation of skilled IBEW workers
• Data center projects can generate significant local tax revenue and infrastructure investment  
• Total bans discourage investment and send good jobs to other areas  

The IBEW supports responsible data center development with strong worker protections, not bans that shut down opportunities for working families.

What does the IBEW support?

• Project Labor Agreements (PLAs)
• Registered apprenticeship and training programs
• Responsible bidder requirements
• Policies that protect workers, ratepayers, and communities while ensuring projects are built responsibly
• Responsible standards that address grid reliability, water use, and community concerns without eliminating the good union jobs these projects create