Brunswick passes data center moratorium

The Brunswick Town Council in Maine recently approved a 180-day moratorium on the development of new or expanded large-scale data centers, specifically those with an electrical capacity of 1 megawatt or greater. This decision by the council, made on Monday night, grants the town a temporary halt to process any applications or permitting requests for such facilities.

This local action follows Maine Governor Janet Mills' veto of a statewide bill that aimed to temporarily restrict similar developments. Brunswick joins several other municipalities in Maine, including Westbrook, Sanford, and Scarborough, that are either considering or enacting their own measures to regulate data center growth.

During the 180-day period, Brunswick plans to gather information on the potential impacts of data centers and to develop specific regulations for their future development. Residents and local representatives, such as Rep. Poppy Arford (D-Brunswick), have voiced their support for the moratorium, advocating for stringent limits on these facilities due to concerns about their consumption of resources like water and electricity, as well as their environmental footprint. Proponents, however, highlight potential economic benefits such as job creation and reduced tax burden.

While Brunswick currently hosts a smaller-scale data center owned by FirstLight on Brunswick Landing, which town leaders note has not caused issues and does not store AI data, officials have not indicated any immediate proposals for larger data centers in the town. However, neighboring towns like Sanford and Scarborough are reportedly responding to already proposed projects.