With data center veto, Janet Mills played governor of one town | Opinion

Gov. Janet Mills is criticized in an opinion piece by clean energy attorney Carol Khalil for vetoing LD 307, a bill intended to impose a temporary moratorium on new data center permits in Maine until November 2027. The bill, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, aimed to allow the state to study the impacts of data centers amid their rapid, AI-driven expansion across the U.S. Khalil argues that Mills' decision, perceived as bowing to pressure from her home county, failed to represent the broader interests of Mainers. Khalil challenges the governor's rationale, which she implies was driven by overstated promises of economic growth. While Mills cited 800 potential construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs at the former Androscoggin Mill site in Jay, Khalil points to examples like Amazon's Ohio data center, which promised