Saco extends temporary data center ban by another 2 months
The Saco City Council has voted to extend its temporary data center moratorium for another 60 days, pushing the expiration to November 28. The ban allows city staff time to update city code to address concerns about noise, heat, emissions, and potential strain on local infrastructure like water supply and roads. This action follows a trend of other Maine municipalities considering their own data center restrictions after a statewide ban was vetoed.
The Saco City Council voted Monday night to extend the city's temporary data center moratorium for another 60 days, setting its expiration for November 28. This extension builds on an initial 61-day ban enacted in August, providing city staff more time to update local code with specific rules for data centers.
According to City Administrator Ryan Pelletier, the existing city code lacks adequate protections for the public, abutters, utility ratepayers, and the environment against potential adverse effects from data centers, including noise, heat, emissions, and strain on local infrastructure such as water supply, roads, and waste management. Mayor Jodi MacPhail emphasized the importance of this pause for a responsible and informed approach to large-scale data center development.
The city is awaiting guidance from the Maine Data Center Advisory Task Force, which is expected to present its report in December. Pelletier indicated that Saco might continue extending the moratorium until state-level recommendations are clear. This local action comes after Governor Janet Mills vetoed a statewide temporary data center ban in April, prompting several municipalities, including neighboring Biddeford, Sanford, and Scarborough, to implement or propose their own restrictions.