Developer revives data center plan for old Maine paper mill
JGT2 Redevelopment plans to seek permits to revive an artificial intelligence data center at the former International Paper mill in Jay, Maine. The project was previously placed on hold after Sentinel Data Centers appeared to withdraw, and its renewed permit filings come amid state efforts to regulate or ban new data centers.
JGT2 Redevelopment, partly owned by Portland developer Tony McDonald, plans to apply to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for site and air permits to convert part of the former International Paper mill in Jay into an artificial intelligence data center. The proposal would reuse mill buildings, redevelop the parking lot and rail yard for HVAC equipment, install a subsurface wastewater system and add two diesel emergency generators.
The project was originally described as a $550 million, 1-million-square-foot facility operated by Sentinel Data Centers, but the company’s continued involvement is unclear. Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said Sentinel had previously indicated it would not proceed, while Select Board member Gary McGrane said the board would discuss the revived project. The permit effort follows Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of a temporary statewide data center ban and comes as lawmakers and environmental groups consider new restrictions on the industry.