Maine Governor Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that would temporarily suspend permits for new data centers.
If passed into law, LD 307 would have imposed the nation’s first statewide moratorium on new data centers. In this case, the period is until November 1, 2027. The bill also called for the creation of a 13-member council to study and recommend data center construction.
Other states, including New York, are considering similar moratoriums as public opposition to data centers grows.
Mills, a Democrat currently running for the U.S. Senate, said in a letter to the state Legislature that a moratorium on new data centers is “appropriate given the environmental and utility impacts of large data centers in other states,” and that he “would have signed this bill” if it had included an exemption for the Town of Jay data center project.
Mr Mills said the project had “strong local support from the host community and region”.
Democratic state Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the bill, said Mills’ veto has “significant potential consequences for all ratepayers, the grid, the environment, and our shared energy future.”
