The vote marks a sharp turn for a city that has often courted development. Supporters framed the ban as a precautionary step, arguing that the massive electricity and water demands of data centers — the warehouse-scale buildings that house servers powering cloud computing and artificial intelligence — could overwhelm local infrastructure and disrupt residential neighborhoods.

Mitchell said the ban is intended to buy the city time to study how other municipalities are responding to the rapid spread of data centers, rather than committing New Bedford to a permanent prohibition. The ordinance's effective start date was not immediately clear following the council's action.

The decision comes as communities across the country grapple with a surge in data center proposals, driven in part by the energy-intensive demands of artificial intelligence. Local officials have increasingly weighed promised tax revenue against concerns over electricity rates, water consumption and land use.

For New Bedford residents, the council's vote signals that city leaders are prioritizing neighborhood quality of life and utility capacity over the prospect of new industrial development. The measure also positions New Bedford among a growing number of municipalities seeking to regulate or pause data center construction while they assess long-term impacts.

It was not immediately known whether the ban includes any exemptions or a sunset provision, or what specific studies the Mitchell administration intends to pursue. City officials did not provide a timeline for when the ordinance would take effect.