Maine governor nixes data center moratorium in state

Governor Janet Mills of Maine vetoed a bill on Friday that sought to enact a temporary ban on large data center construction across the state. The proposed moratorium, which had been endorsed by Maine legislators, aimed to curb rapid data center development fueled by the artificial intelligence boom, citing concerns over high power and water consumption, as well as strain on local grids and increased electricity bills. In her statement announcing the veto, Governor Mills explained that while a moratorium might be appropriate given the environmental and economic impacts seen in other states, the specific bill failed to make an exception for a data center project in a region of Maine still recovering from a devastating mill closure three years prior. State Representative Melanie Sachs, a sponsor of the bill, criticized the decision, arguing that the Governor was rejecting the advice of her own task force and resisting the will of a majority of Maine citizens, who a recent Quinnipiac University poll indicated largely oppose data centers in their communities. The veto means the proposed construction pause, which would have lasted until November of next year and established a council to assess data center risks and benefits, will not become law.