Westbrook to consider data center moratorium

Westbrook, Maine, city councilors are set to consider a six-month moratorium on new data center developments to allow time to study their potential impacts and establish future development restrictions. Mayor David Morse indicated that the city's current land use ordinances do not adequately address the potential local water, energy, light, and noise impacts, especially in an urban setting. This move by Westbrook follows Governor Janet Mills' recent veto of a state-level bill that would have imposed an 18-month moratorium on large-scale data center construction statewide. Westbrook joins other Maine communities, such as Scarborough, which is also contemplating a similar moratorium, and Bangor, which enacted a pause last month, in taking local action against the rapid proliferation of data centers. The Westbrook City Council will discuss the proposed moratorium at its upcoming meeting on May 18, as communities nationwide grapple with environmental and economic consequences, including rising electric bills, linked to data center expansion driven by AI demand.