Mayo Mill Dam DEP permit hearing will be Monday evening
The Dover-Foxcroft Select Board is considering a proposal from its Climate Action Advisory Committee to temporarily ban data centers of 10 megawatts or greater for 180 days. This pause would allow the Maine Data Center Advisory Council time to develop statewide regulations for future projects. The town's electrical infrastructure is also cited as a concern for large data centers.
The Dover-Foxcroft Select Board recently heard a proposal from its Climate Action Advisory Committee to enact a temporary 180-day ban on data centers consuming 10 megawatts or more of electricity within the town. Carole Boothroyd of the Climate Action Advisory Committee emphasized that such a pause is "a necessary and appropriate action" for residents and property owners while the statewide Maine Data Center Advisory Council works on regulating future projects.
This follows Governor Janet Mills' veto in the spring of a bill that would have imposed an 18-month statewide ban on large-scale data centers. The Maine Data Center Advisory Council is currently investigating environmental impact, energy resources, and economic development aspects of data centers, with a report due in early 2027.
Select Chair Steve Grammont expressed concerns about the town's electrical infrastructure, noting it may not be "most conducive for a large data center." He also indicated that extensions to an initial 180-day ban could be granted if the town demonstrates active work on the issue. The proposal will first be reviewed by the Select Board's administrative committee and will require legal counsel for documentation.