Maine Governor Janet Mills Vetoes Data Center Moratorium Bill, Cites Jay Project Exemption

Maine Governor Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that would have halted the construction of large data centers in the state until the fall of 2027. The bill passed both chambers of Maine’s legislature on April 14.

While Mills has indicated she supports a temporary moratorium on large data centers, she opposed the bill because it did not include an exemption for an existing data center project in Jay, Maine.

Key Provisions of the Vetoed Bill

• The bill would have blocked construction of data centers consuming 20 megawatts of power or more.
• State agencies and other entities would have been prohibited from issuing permits unless proposed projects met lower energy requirements.
• The bill proposed creating a "Maine Data Center Coordination Council" to provide strategic input, facilitate state planning, and evaluate policy tools related to data centers.

In place of the vetoed bill, Mills announced she would sign an executive order establishing a council similar to the one proposed in the legislation. She also signed LD 713, a bill that prohibits data centers from participating in Maine’s business development tax incentive programs.

National Context: States and Federal Actions on Data Centers

Maine is not alone in considering restrictions on data centers. At least 12 other states are exploring similar legislation, including New York, where lawmakers recently introduced a bill to block new data center construction for at least three years.

At the federal level, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) have endorsed a bill that would impose a moratorium not only on new data center construction but also on upgrades to existing facilities.

Contrasting Views on AI and Data Center Growth

Efforts to slow the development of AI infrastructure, including data centers, conflict with the priorities of major tech companies and the Trump administration. The administration has actively encouraged faster AI buildout in the U.S., with President Donald Trump releasing an AI framework in March that called for streamlining the process of building and powering data centers.