Maine Governor Janet Mills has vetoed a bill that would have imposed a temporary ban on new data center construction, ending a weeks-long standoff with state lawmakers over the measure's scope.
Mills had signaled support for the moratorium in principle but pushed the legislature to carve out a specific exemption. When legislators voted down her proposed exception, the governor moved to kill the bill entirely rather than accept the measure as written.
The data center bill had gained traction among lawmakers concerned about the state's electrical grid capacity and the environmental footprint of large industrial computing facilities. Supporters argued that a temporary halt was necessary to give regulators time to study the impact of expanded data center operations on Maine's power infrastructure and communities.
Mills' veto removes the immediate path forward for the moratorium. The move suggests the governor is unwilling to accept restrictions on data centers without built-in flexibility, though the specific nature of her proposed exemption was not disclosed.
Data centers have become an increasingly contentious issue in Maine as companies seek locations for server farms and other computing infrastructure. The facilities consume significant amounts of electricity and can strain local power grids, but they also represent potential economic development and tax revenue for host communities.
The veto leaves the state's data center regulations unchanged. Any future effort to impose restrictions would require a new bill and another legislative vote, or a different approach that wins the governor's backing.
Author James Rodriguez: "Mills had leverage to shape this debate but chose to block it entirely rather than negotiate on substance, a telling sign that data center interests still have the upper hand in Augusta."
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