Brunswick considers pause on data center proposals

Brunswick, Maine, is moving forward with a proposed 180-day moratorium on large-scale data center developments, scheduling a public hearing for June 1. This initiative comes in the wake of Governor Janet Mills' veto of a statewide bill that would have temporarily restricted such projects across Maine. The town's action aims to provide officials with sufficient time to study the potential impacts of data centers and formulate appropriate local regulations.

During a recent town council meeting, councilors revised the moratorium's scope, removing an initial definition based on gross floor area and electrical capacity of at least 20 megawatts. Instead, the proposed pause would now prohibit data center projects with an electrical capacity of 1 megawatt or more. Town Manager Julia Henze indicated that while there are no current data center proposals for Brunswick, the moratorium would enable the town to proactively update its ordinances.

Brunswick's consideration mirrors similar efforts in other Maine municipalities like Westbrook, Sanford, and Scarborough, some of which are responding to already proposed projects. The debate around data centers highlights a tension between proponents, who tout job creation and economic benefits, and opponents, who raise concerns about high water and electricity consumption, increased utility bills, and environmental pollution. The town currently hosts a smaller data center on Brunswick Landing, owned by FirstLight, which town leaders have noted has not caused issues and does not store AI data.