Local
Kraft Family's $16 Billion Data Center Plan Faces Fierce Resistance in Rural Sutton
The Kraft Group's proposal to build one of the nation's largest data centers in Sutton has sparked intense local opposition in the small Central Massachusetts town, setting up a high-stakes battle over energy use, land, and corporate influence.
SUTTON â A plan by the Kraft family to build one of the largest data centers in the country in this rural Central Massachusetts town is facing mounting opposition from residents, setting up what could be the billionaire family's most contentious fight yet.
The $16 billion project, proposed by the Kraft Group and Unified Global Packaging Group, would span 10 buildings on land off Heritage Road and draw 900 megawatts of electricity â roughly 7 percent of the state's peak demand on its hottest day last summer. The campus would be built in a town of fewer than 10,000 people, many of whom have made clear they oppose the development.
At a public forum on Nov. 10, residents packed a meeting to voice concerns about the project's scale, its environmental impact, and the strain it would place on local infrastructure and the regional power grid. The proposal has ignited a firestorm of criticism, though Sutton officials have said they are not backing away from considering it.
The Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots and a sprawling real estate and paper goods empire, has weathered public battles before â over stadium proposals in Boston, security fees in Foxborough, and even a recent spat with rapper Macklemore. But the Sutton fight presents a different kind of challenge: a small, tight-knit community determined to reject a project that would dramatically alter its character.
The timing could hardly be worse for the Krafts. The proposal comes as data centers nationwide face growing scrutiny over their enormous energy consumption and water use, and as Massachusetts struggles to meet its climate goals. Drawing 900 megawatts â enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes â would require significant new energy infrastructure, the costs of which would likely be borne by ratepayers.
It remains unclear who first conceived of the Sutton site; the idea did not originate with the Krafts, according to town officials. But the family's involvement has thrust the proposal into the spotlight, raising questions about corporate influence in a town unaccustomed to such large-scale development.
For now, the project remains under review by Sutton officials, who have signaled they will continue to evaluate the proposal despite the vocal opposition. Residents, meanwhile, are organizing to make their voices heard, vowing to fight what many see as an existential threat to their community.
As one local put it at the Nov. 10 forum, the town is ready for "a big fight" â and the Krafts may find that this one is unlike any they have faced before.