Lawmakers in Maine have signed off on a bill designed to place a moratorium on the construction of data centers within the state. If signed into law, the legislation would be the first such measure in the entire United States and could set the pace for nearly a dozen other states considering similar proposals.
Opposition to these facilities has been growing around the country as concerns about the environmental effects and energy consumption increase.
The Maine bill has now been sent to Gov. Janet Mills for enactment. The bill seeks to pause approvals for new data center projects that require at least 20 MW of power. The pause would last until October next year and during this time, a council appointed by the state would assess how these projects would affect the energy grid, water and air, as well as knock-on effects on the electricity bills of households.
It isn’t immediately clear what the state governor’s position on this bill is, but she has expressed a desire to exempt a small data center project proposed to be established on already existing infrastructure. This particular project is reusing facilities that had been abandoned and is unlikely to have a significant impact on electricity bills or the grid.
Maine is being watched as its legislation could be a testing ground for many other states wishing to pass similar bills. Currently, 11 states have draft laws being debated to restrain or halt data center construction within their jurisdictions.
The federal government is aware of this growing opposition to Big Tech’s ambitious data center expansion plans and in March, the administration got tech firms to affix their signatures on a voluntary pledge indicating that the companies would incur all costs related to generating the additional power needed by their facilities. This pledge was signed at the White House.
In Congress, opposition to the explosion of data centers around the country is bipartisan. However, Democrats Bernie Sanders in the Senate and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the House have championed proposals to suspend data center establishment subject to Congress first enacting legislation on AI safety.
Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley have also tabled bills seeking to shield households from spikes in their energy bills resulting from costs linked to grid upgrades due to data center power needs.
AI hyperscalers like Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) are likely concerned by this growing backlash against data center establishment in states around the country. It remains to be seen what solutions they come up with to restore public support or come up with alternative energy sources that are independent from existing grids.
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