Gov. Mills weighs decision on proposed statewide data center ban

Governor Janet Mills of Maine has until the end of next week to decide on various pieces of legislation, including a significant proposal for a statewide ban on data centers. The bill, which passed the state legislature with a provision for a temporary pause on data center development, did not include an exemption for a specific project at a paper mill in Jay. Governor Mills has indicated that the data center project in Jay is a priority for her, suggesting that the lack of a carve-out for this project could influence her decision on whether to sign the bill into law. She stated, "The bill arrived on my desk the other night. I'm gonna read it and give it every due consideration. They didn't give the carve out for Jay. I heard that, yeah, it'll be a concern." Should Governor Mills sign the bill, Maine would become the first state in the nation to enact a statewide ban on data centers. This ban would remain in effect until November of next year and would apply to any data center project exceeding 20 megawatts, impacting not only the project in Jay but also a potential development in Sanford.