Maine to become first US state to bar major data centers
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Maine has become the first US state to endorse a moratorium on building large data centers, driven by concerns over the environmental and economic impacts of the AI race. The bill, which is on its way to the governor's desk, would pause new data center construction until November next year and create a council to assess risks and benefits.
Maine legislators have endorsed a moratorium on large data centers. The bill will become law if not vetoed by the governor. A boom in artificial intelligence has driven up demand for data centers, straining local grids and increasing electricity bills. The Maine bill would pause new construction until November next year. It also calls for a council to assess risks and benefits of proposed data centers. Currently, there are no large-scale data centers in Maine, but some projects have been disclosed recently. The law would prohibit local authorities from issuing permits for data centers with electrical capacity exceeding 20 megawatts.
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