Maine's state legislature has enacted a moratorium on large data centers, with the House approving the measure 79-62 and the Senate voting 21-13. This legislation will prohibit construction until November 2027, and a council will be established to assess the impact of data centers on residents' energy costs.
The bill, which primarily follows party lines, awaits the signature of Governor Janet Mills, who has indicated a willingness to approve the ban under specific conditions. Notably, the threshold for a "large" data center is set at just 20 megawatts, a level that effectively curtails many projects, including those designed for artificial intelligence.
Despite the relatively low activity in data center development in Maine, with only two projects tracked through permit requests, stakeholders are concerned about the rising energy prices. Maine currently ranks fourth highest in electricity costs nationally, as reported by Electric Choice. Similar legislative initiatives have faced challenges in various states, highlighting a broader trend of cautious approaches toward data center expansions.