Veto Day votes will determine fate of data centers in Maine

Maine state lawmakers are poised to vote on whether to override Governor Janet Mills' veto of LD 307, a bill that proposes a temporary moratorium on data center development across the state. Governor Mills vetoed the bill on April 24th, shortly after the legislature had passed it. If the veto is overridden, Maine would enact the first statewide data center moratorium in the U.S., requiring the Department of Energy Resources to establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to prepare the state for future data center projects. State Representative Melanie Sachs, the bill's sponsor, strongly opposes the Governor's veto, expressing concerns about the potential strain on the electric grid and the environment, as well as the impact on ratepayers. She emphasized the need for a comprehensive plan for data center projects, a recommendation from the Artificial Intelligence Task Force. Conversely, proponents of data center development, including Franklin County Commissioner Tom Saviello and Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere, advocate for upholding the veto. They emphasize the significant economic benefits, such as 125-150 direct jobs and hundreds of construction jobs, from a proposed 550,000 square-foot data center in Jay. LaFreniere also stated that the developer has an agreement with Central Maine Power to cover necessary grid enhancements, preventing costs from being passed to ratepayers, and anticipates a reduction in residential electricity bills. She warned that if the moratorium stands, the Jay project would likely be abandoned.