Gov. Mills vetoes first-in-nation data center moratorium passed by Maine Legislature

AUGUSTA, Maine —
Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that would put a temporary moratorium on data centers in Maine, a moratorium that would have been the first of its kind in the United States.

This comes just over a week after the Maine Legislature passed the bill, LD 307, which would require the state's Department of Energy Resources to create the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to ensure Maine is ready for data centers.

State Rep. Melanie Sachs, the bill's sponsor, said the legislation is an attempt to make sure Maine is ready for data centers and focused on the infrastructure needed for these types of facilities.

When the bill was passed, a spokesperson for Mills said the governor agreed with lawmakers that the rapid growth of large-scale AI data centers warrants careful evaluation of impacts on public resources, the environment and Maine ratepayers.

But Mills also supported an exemption to the law for the proposed data center at the former Jay Paper Mill, which was not included in the bill passed by the Legislature.

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https://www.wmtw.com/article/maine-data-center-moratorium-vetoed-governor-mills/71122599