Maine Gov. Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that would have temporarily suspended permits for new data centers.
If it were to become law, LD 307 would impose the first statewide moratorium on new data centers in the country – in this case, it would last until November 1, 2027. The bill also called for a 13-member board to study and make recommendations on building the data center.
with public opposition to data centers rising, other states Including New York have considered similar moratoriums.
In a letter Mills, a Democrat who is currently running for the state legislature and is now running for the US Senate, said that stopping new data centers “would be appropriate given the environmental and electric rate impacts of massive data centers in other states” and that he would “sign this bill.”
Mills said the project “has received strong local support from the host community and region.”
Democratic state Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the bill, said Mills’ veto “It creates significant potential consequences for all ratepayers, our electricity grid, our environment and our shared energy future.”
