Exclusive: Graham Platner Supports ‘Anything’ to Slow Down Data Centers

Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner of Maine has declared strong support for measures to slow down data center development, including endorsing a temporary nationwide ban on new data center projects and advocating for a national electricity rate freeze. In an interview, Platner expressed deep concern about the lack of regulatory preparation for AI and the extensive infrastructure it requires, stating he supports "anything" to slow down data center growth as long as it's paired with policymaking. His energy plan, released on Friday, calls for a "national electricity rate freeze" to address high power prices, which are partly attributed to the demand from data centers. This aligns with his previous full-throated support for a halt to data center buildout, as evidenced in a March interview with environmental activists. Maine has become a battleground for modern energy politics, facing some of the highest electricity rates in the country. While data center development in Maine is less extensive than in states like Virginia, it has become a contentious issue. Earlier this year, the Democratically-controlled state legislature passed a statewide moratorium on new data center development, but Governor Janet Mills vetoed it, citing the need for protections allowing a former mill town to still build a data center. Platner's campaign, supported by climate and labor organizations, aims to leverage public concern over data center environmental impacts, particularly electricity and water usage, against his incumbent Republican opponent, Senator Susan Collins.