Eastport residents push City Council to oppose underwater AI data center
Eastport residents are voicing strong concerns over DeepGreen's proposed underwater AI data center in the Bay of Fundy, urging the City Council to implement a temporary moratorium. While the council declined a moratorium vote, they opted to send a letter of objection to the developer. This local debate coincides with broader statewide discussions, including Governor Janet Mills' veto of a bill for a temporary data center moratorium.
Residents of Eastport, Maine, are pressing their City Council to take action against a proposed underwater artificial intelligence data center by DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC in the Bay of Fundy's Western Passage. At a May 13 meeting, citizens urged councilors to enact a temporary moratorium, citing concerns about environmental impacts, strain on the local power grid, and the potential lack of local benefits from what they view as an "understudied industry."
DeepGreen, which specializes in underwater powered data infrastructure, applied for a preliminary permit with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February to conduct environmental and engineering studies. Residents like Birdy Velveteen argued that the project's on-shore cables would impact wetlands protected under Maine's Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act. Suellen Hendrix raised doubts about the developer's commitment to local welfare, drawing parallels to South Portland's Clear Skies Ordinance which started as a moratorium.
Despite the strong public appeal, Eastport councilors declined to vote on a moratorium, stating it was too early in the development phase and noted such measures have mandatory expiration dates. Instead, they voted to send a letter of objection to DeepGreen's managing member, Louis Wolfson, mirroring a similar letter sent by Washington County commissioners on April 9.
This local issue comes after Governor Janet Mills vetoed a statewide bill in late April that would have placed a temporary moratorium on data center projects. Governor Mills cited a specific project in Jay, Maine, involving JGT2 Redevelopment and Sentinel Data Centers, as the reason for her veto, highlighting its importance for job creation in the former mill town. Following the veto, several Maine communities, including Lewiston and Scarborough, have enacted their own temporary moratoriums, and Governor Mills established a council to evaluate policy tools for large-scale data center projects across the state.