Janet Mills hesitant on data center ban, says Jay ‘needs’ the jobs

Governor Janet Mills expressed significant reservations Friday regarding a proposed statewide 18-month moratorium on large data centers, a measure that recently passed both chambers of the Maine Legislature. While acknowledging the potential environmental issues and impacts on electricity rates, Governor Mills specifically called for a "carveout for Jay," emphasizing the central Maine town's need for jobs, provided there are appropriate safeguards for water and electricity resources. This stance raises questions about whether she intends to veto the ban when it reaches her desk. The proposed freeze, which would make Maine the first state to enact such a ban, would halt planned data center construction, including a project slated for this summer at the former paper mill in Jay, as well as plans in Sanford and Loring. Earlier legislative debates to add exceptions for projects already in the works were ultimately rejected. Meanwhile, local concerns are also surfacing; Bangor city councilors indicated plans to fast-track a local ordinance that would ban data centers for six months, driven by worries about water usage and the limited number of long-term local jobs typically associated with these facilities. Governor Mills noted her primary concern with data centers is their potential to increase electricity rates, citing a Bloomberg News analysis showing significant cost increases in areas near data centers, though she acknowledged some exceptions exist. The statewide discussion follows instances in other Maine communities like Wiscasset and Lewiston, where data center plans have been shut down due to public opposition.