Westbrook, Brunswick pass moratoriums on building data centers
Two Maine communities, Westbrook and Brunswick, have each enacted 180-day moratoriums on data center construction. These local actions follow Governor Janet Mills' veto of a bill that would have created a statewide pause on data centers.
The towns of Westbrook and Brunswick, Maine, have independently passed 180-day moratoriums on data center development, following a trend of local communities taking action against such facilities.
Brunswick's town council approved its moratorium after residents lined up for hours to express their concerns regarding the potential impacts of data centers. Westbrook also enacted a similar 180-day pause, as reported by the Press Herald.
These local measures come after Governor Janet Mills vetoed a proposed statewide moratorium on data center construction, a decision that cleared the way for a data center to be built in Jay. Since the Governor's veto, towns and cities across Maine have begun to implement their own local ordinances to address data center development.