Police pull the plug on mobile billboard targeting Janet Mills on data centers - Portland Press Herald

Hallowell police intervened in a mobile billboard campaign orchestrated by the civil society group Ekō, which aimed to pressure Governor Janet Mills into signing a bill for a one-year moratorium on data centers in Maine. The driver of the billboard truck, owned by Guerrilla Mobile Billboards of Topsfield, Massachusetts, was cited for speeding and displaying an illuminated advertisement, a violation subject to a $152 fine. Ekō's Campaign Director, Deborah Lewis, stated that "AI data centers are being sold as economic opportunities, but the reality is higher bills, environmental strain, and very few permanent jobs," emphasizing Maine's opportunity to protect its communities. The billboards featured Governor Mills' image alongside messages highlighting public opposition to new data centers, concerns over rising energy costs, and the temporary nature of data center jobs. The Maine Legislature recently passed LD 307, a bill that would establish a one-year moratorium on data centers with electric loads of at least 20 megawatts, preventing state, local, and quasi-governmental agencies from issuing permits until November 2027. The bill also proposes the creation of a Data Center Coordination Council to study potential impacts and issue policy recommendations. Governor Mills, who has until April 25 to act on the bill, previously expressed disappointment that the proposal didn't allow for a data center at an old paper mill in Jay, citing the need for jobs with appropriate resource guardrails.