Overview
- Gov. Janet Mills vetoed an 18‑month halt on Friday, stopping a bill that would have paused approvals for data centers using more than 20 megawatts until November 2027.
- She said the pause threatened a permitted $550 million project in Jay that would redevelop the closed Androscoggin Mill, add about 800 construction jobs, create more than 100 permanent roles, and boost the town’s tax base.
- Instead of a moratorium, Mills said she will issue an executive order to create a council to study how large data centers affect the power grid, water use, and nearby communities.
- The governor also signed a separate law that blocks data center projects from using Maine’s business development tax‑incentive programs.
- Backers called the bill the first statewide moratorium of its kind, and the split response from industry groups and environmental advocates comes as other states consider similar pauses over the heavy power and water needs of AI facilities.