Eastport weighs AI underwater data center proposal as opponents seek to halt process, part 2

Eastport, Maine, is currently evaluating a proposal for an underwater AI data center, sparking a contentious debate among residents. The Massachusetts-based company, Deep Green, Western Passage, SPB LLC, filed a preliminary permit submission with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February for the project. City Manager Louis Wilson stated that it is too early in the process to fully understand the project's implications, comparing the preliminary permit to a "bar napkin" idea. Wilson noted that Deep Green has a similar application for a larger project in Alaska, suggesting that Eastport's unique combination of power and temperature makes it one of only two suitable locations for their technology.

The proposed data center faces significant opposition from residents like Deborah Glass, who fear it will negatively impact Eastport's environment, particularly sealife and local fisheries, and fundamentally alter the city's way of life. Glass and other locals have organized a petition to bring the data center proposal to a vote on the November ballot. Conversely, some residents are open to the idea, seeing it as a potential source of tax relief for the city.

Further heightening the controversy, petitioners raised concerns about the Eastport City Council's response to an opposition letter from the Washington County Commissioners. The City Council reportedly "cut and pasted" the Commissioners' letter and, while voting unanimously to support the sentiment, no individual council member signed the response, which was instead attested to by the clerk.