Dover-Foxcroft temporarily bans data centers
The town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, has enacted a 180-day temporary moratorium on data center applications and projects. Officials will use this period to evaluate existing ordinances and determine if they are sufficient to regulate potential future data center developments. This preemptive measure is taken to prepare for possible proposals and ensure fair contributions from any incoming businesses.
The town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, has implemented a 180-day temporary ban on new data center applications and projects. This proactive measure aims to provide town officials with time to review and update existing ordinances to adequately regulate potential future data center developments. Select Chair Steve Grammont emphasized that the ban is a preemptive measure, as there are no current proposals, aimed at determining the sufficiency of current regulations.
Dover-Foxcroft is among several rural Maine towns, including Bangor which extended its own pause, that are pausing data center development amid rising nationwide opposition and concerns over artificial intelligence's impact. The resolution broadly defines data centers to include various digital data storage and processing facilities, such as cloud computing, server farms, and AI training operations.
This local action coincides with statewide efforts, as the Maine Data Center Advisory Council works on a report due early next year regarding future regulations. Governor Janet Mills previously vetoed a bill proposing an 18-month statewide ban on large-scale data centers, highlighting the ongoing debate about regulating such facilities across Maine.