Maine Governor vetoes data center moratorium

Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have temporarily halted permits for new data centers.

Even if it becomes a law LD307 It would have imposed the first statewide ban on new data centers — lasting, in this case, through Nov. 1, 2027. The bill also called for the creation of a 13-person board to study and make recommendations on data center construction.

with Public opposition to data centers Rising, other countries Including New York A similar moratorium has been considered.

in message Before the state Legislature, Mills – a Democrat currently running for US Senate – said a pause on new data centers would be “appropriate given the impacts of large data centers in other states on the environment and on electricity prices,” and that she “would have signed this bill” if it included an exception for a data center project in Jay Township.

This project “has strong local support from the host community and the region,” Mills said.

Melanie Sachs, the Democratic state representative who sponsored the bill, He overruled Mills “It poses significant potential consequences for all taxpayers, our electric grid, our environment, and our shared energy future.”