Buxton voters approve temporary ban on data centers in Maine town
Voters in Buxton, Maine, approved a 180-day moratorium on data center development at a special meeting. The ban pauses applications and construction while local rules are reviewed, joining similar actions in other southern Maine communities.
Buxton voters approved a temporary 180-day moratorium on data center development during a special meeting, with the measure retroactive to Aug. 12. The pause halts new applications and construction as the town reviews its local rules.
The action follows similar moratoriums in Sanford, Westbrook and Gray. Statewide efforts to establish a temporary ban failed after Gov. Janet Mills vetoed legislation that would also have created a Maine Data Center Coordination Council. Mills later created a 15-member advisory council by executive order to recommend policies for large-scale data centers by Jan. 29, 2027. Separately, plans for a proposed data center at the former Jay paper mill were put on hold after the developer withdrew.