Maine governor vetoes bill pausing AI data center construction
What's the story
Maine's Democratic Governor Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that would have imposed a moratorium on the construction of AI data centers. The proposed legislation was aimed at pausing the development of large data centers for over a year and establishing a special council to help towns assess potential projects. However, Mills rejected it due to its lack of an exemption for an important project in the town of Jay, which could provide much-needed jobs to the struggling community.
Opposition
Proposals for data center moratoriums in at least dozen states
Proposals for data center moratoriums have been introduced in at least a dozen states, but none have passed beyond the legislative chamber. These bills have been opposed by data center developers, chambers of commerce, tech giants, labor unions, and electric utilities. Mills plans to issue an executive order to form a council that would study the impact of data centers in Maine.
Decision authority
Local officials best suited to decide on data centers
Mills believes local officials are best suited to decide whether to allow a data center in their towns or not. Her decision to veto the Maine moratorium has drawn criticism from her own party, including Rep. Melanie Sachs who sponsored the bill. Sachs said in a statement that the governor is "resisting the will of a majority of Maine people" with this veto.
Potential impact
Veto could have major implications for ratepayers, warns Sachs
Sachs warned that the veto could have major implications for all ratepayers, the electric grid, environment and energy future. She said this decision is "simply wrong." Resistance to data center proposals has increased in many communities amid high-level support for AI, tech firms and their facilities.
Power concerns
Bill would have frozen approvals until October 2027
Voters are raising concerns over the massive amount of power consumed by data centers, with analysts warning of possible blackouts in the mid-Atlantic grid in coming years. If signed into law, the bill would have frozen approvals until October 2027 for data centers requiring more than 20 megawatts (MW) of power while a state-appointed council analyzed their impact on local resources.