Nation's first state moratorium on data centers vetoed by Maine's governor - ABC News

Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have established the nation's first state-level moratorium on large data center construction for over a year. The Democrat-controlled state legislature had passed the bill, which also sought to create a council to assist towns in vetting potential data center projects. Governor Mills justified her veto by explaining that the bill did not include an exemption for a specific data center project in the town of Jay, which she believes is crucial for providing much-needed jobs to a community impacted by a mill closure. TheThe governor's decision drew criticism from within her own party, including from Democratic State Representative Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the bill. Sachs stated that the veto "resists the will of a majority of Maine people" and warned of potential negative consequences for ratepayers, the electric grid, and the environment. Despite the veto, Governor Mills announced plans to issue an executive order to create a council tasked with examining the impacts of data centers across Maine, acknowledging the growing concerns surrounding their energy consumption and the spread of artificial intelligence.