Lowell’s Data Power: Unpacking New England Electric Group and Markley Group's Data Center Collaboration
Since its founding in 2013, New England Electric Group (NEEG) has been at the forefront of one of the most advanced and mission-critical infrastructure networks in the Northeast. Working with The Markley Group, New England’s largest and most comprehensive multi-tenant data center and carrier hotel, NEEG has established itself as a leader in high-stakes data center construction and maintenance.
“We do all data center work, and most of the time it's in critical environments. There’s no room for outages," Doug Lanceleve, co-founder of NEEG, explains. That’s certainly true of NEEG’s recent assignment, a large-scale expansion of Markley’s sprawling data center at One Markley Way in Lowell.
Along with Markley’s flagship location at One Summer St in Boston, these data centers serve as the backbone of the region’s digital infrastructure, providing colocation services to enterprises and carriers alike. With 30MW of 2N UPS backup-supported power in Boston and 45MW of 2N UPS backup-supported power in Lowell, both facilities require constant vigilance and precision. Markley has entrusted the NEEG team to deliver on both fronts.
“We’ve had up to 103 people between the two locations. For the Lowell project, we had up to 78 electricians on site, working two 12-hour shifts, 6 days a week,” says Lanceleve. Tight timelines, complex electrical builds, and supply chain challenges meant the team often had to improvise on the fly. As Jonathan Carveale, NEEG Vice President, noted, “We were pulling wire before we even had the switchgear. We had to think outside of the box to complete the project on time. The crew in the field showed great adaptability to all challenges and made it happen.”
The scope of the $250M project was immense, delivered over a fast-paced 9-month schedule: two 23kV utility distribution feeds connected to ten 3120kVA Cast Coil Unit Substations, each paired with a 2.2MW UPS System to feed critical IT infrastructure, each backed by a dedicated 3.0MW CAT diesel generator. This project was to support 60,000 square feet of data hall fit-out for high-density AI workloads. Fire protection, building management systems (BMS), and fiber/data infrastructure were also part of the package, executed entirely by NEEG’s crew of union electricians.
You could say NEEG was built for this job. The company grew out of a long-standing relationship between the founding team and Markley back in the 2000s. As Lanceleve explains, “At the time, we were working on critical infrastructure projects for them. They encouraged us to start our own company and take on the work directly- and that’s how NEEG was born.”
From BMS to fire alarm systems, every component installed by NEEG reflects the meticulous standards demanded by both the client and the mission-critical nature of the work. The team credits its membership in NECA Boston for valuable support, including access to trade shows and training that keeps them at the forefront of industry standards and practices. “It has been nothing but positive for us,” says Lanceleve.
“You’re not just putting pipe in the wall,” added Carveale. “The work has got to look clean, organized—presentation matters.” In fact, Markley uses these precision installations as a part of their brand. Glass-walled UPS rooms allow prospective clients to see the quality of the infrastructure that will be supporting their business.
For NEEG and the region, the rise in AI computing looms large over the future of energy. With growing AI workloads and evolving digital infrastructure needs, power has become the central concern. As Carveale puts it, “The demand of capacity per square foot of power, has been growing rapidly, and AI has accelerated it even more—plus the need for greater cooling. Power is everything.”
As the most recent phase of data center construction winds down, NEEG is looking to meet the evolving power needs of the Commonwealth. With its aging grid and complex regulatory environment, the New England region demands contractors of distinct experience and ingenuity to manage and deliver its energy sources. “There’s always something next,” says Lanceleve, noting that NEEG has proven it has the expertise, workforce capacity, and problem-solving skills to meet any challenge.