Buxton voters will decide temporary data center ban
Buxton, Maine, residents will vote on a proposed 180-day moratorium on data center development. This temporary ban aims to give town officials time to draft an ordinance to regulate future data center facilities, following concerns about their impact on local resources like water.
Buxton, Maine, is considering a 180-day moratorium on data center construction, with voters set to decide on the temporary ban at a special town meeting. The proposed moratorium comes as residents express concerns about data centers' high water consumption and potential strain on local infrastructure, a sentiment echoed by resident Keith Gorham at a recent Buxton Planning Board meeting.
While no data centers have yet been proposed in Buxton, the pause would allow town officials to develop and enact an ordinance to regulate any future facilities. The Buxton Select Board is expected to announce the date for the town meeting, likely in early October, where residents will provide public comment and cast their votes.
This move by Buxton mirrors actions taken by other nearby Maine communities, including Gorham, Scarborough, Westbrook, Biddeford, and Sanford, which have also implemented similar moratoriums. These local efforts follow Governor Janet Mills' veto in April of a statewide bill that would have temporarily restricted such developments, prompting individual towns to pursue their own regulatory measures, with some now considering outright bans on data centers.