Overview
- LD 307, approved by Maine lawmakers, would stop construction of new data centers that need more than 20 megawatts of power through November 2027 and create a Data Center Coordination Council.
- Gov. Janet Mills has not said whether she will sign or veto the bill, leaving the statewide pause undecided.
- Backers say the timeout protects ratepayers and grid reliability and gives time to set rules, citing data centers’ round‑the‑clock electricity demand and heavy cooling water needs.
- Opponents argue the freeze would push away investment and AI jobs and say Maine should fix energy supply limits instead by revisiting policies on renewables, gas pipelines, or nuclear power.
- Newsweek reports that lawmakers in nearly a dozen states have floated similar pauses, many of which stalled, and Maine’s choice could influence where future AI infrastructure gets built.