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Maine lawmakers pass nation’s first statewide ban on large data centers
The measure would freeze approvals for large facilities and create a 13-member council to study grid, water and electricity impacts.
- On Tuesday, the Maine Legislature passed LD 307, halting permits for new data centers of at least 20 megawatts until November 2027, and sent the measure to Democratic Governor Janet Mills for final approval.
- Lawmakers established a 13-member Data Center Coordination Council to study electricity rates, grid reliability, and water resource impacts, with findings due by February 2027.
- Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, called the bill a "thoughtful, pragmatic pause," while Developer McDonald warned it would kill his proposed $550 million project at the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay.
- Lawmakers also sent LD 713 to Mills, barring new data centers from specific tax incentives after July and requiring the Department of Economic and Community Development to study financial incentives by Nov. 4.
- Maine's move positions the state as a potential national leader in data center regulation, as 11 other states are currently considering similar legislation to curb expansion amid growing electricity consumption concerns.
85 Articles
85 Articles
Lawmakers in the US state of Maine this week approved a bill to temporarily ban the construction of large data centers. Maine became the first US state to adopt such a measure, amid growing opposition to the energy-intensive facilities that are fueling the growth of artificial intelligence (AI). The legislation still needs to be signed into law by Democratic Governor Janet Mills, The Washington Post (WP) reports.
Maine becomes 1st state to ban all large data center construction in historic move
Maine is poised to become the first state in the nation to impose a statewide prohibition on large data centers. As The Washington Post reported, legislators pushed through a measure introduced in February that places a hold on the development of new data centers that utilize over 20 megawatts of power until the fall of 2027. Before the ban becomes law, Gov. Janet Mills will have to sign off on it. That isn't a given because, in April, Mills sai…
Inside Climate News
ecotopical.comMaine Presses Pause on Large Data Centers. Will Other States Follow Its Lead?
The moratorium is the first of its type to pass a legislative chamber, but about a dozen other states have pending proposals.By Dan GearinoMaine is now the first state to pass a moratorium on the development of large data centers, and others may follow.
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