Maine House advances moratorium on large data centers through 2027

The Maine House of Representatives has given initial approval to LD 307, a bill proposing a moratorium on data centers with a load of 20 megawatts or more until November 2027. The bill, passed 82-62, now advances to the Senate. Proponents, like Rep. Melanie Sachs (D-Freeport), emphasized balancing economic development with environmental stewardship. The bill also establishes the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to provide strategic input and policy evaluation. Opponents, including Rep. Steven Foster (R-Dexter), argued the moratorium is unnecessary, citing existing regulations and the unlikelihood of Maine hosting very large “AI data centers.” An amendment to add an exemption process, reportedly aimed at a proposed data center in Jay, was rejected. Concurrently, the House also initially approved LD 713, a bill to exclude data centers from tax breaks under the Business Equipment Tax Exemption Program and Dirigo Business Incentives Programs. Rep. Daniel Sayre (D-Kennebunk) stated data centers create few jobs, contradicting the programs' goals. Critics like Rep. Shelley Rudnicki (R-Fairfield) and Sen. James Libby (R-Cumberland) questioned singling out data centers and hindering future economic opportunity. However, Sen. Tim Nangle (D-Cumberland) argued that wealthy tech companies like Amazon and Google do not require such incentives, especially given other state funding priorities. LD 713 passed 75-61 in the House and 19-13 in the Senate, and now awaits final votes in both chambers.