Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed a bill on Friday that would have paused the construction of large data centers, including those for artificial intelligence, for 18 months. The move prevents Maine from becoming the first state in the U.S. to impose a statewide moratorium on such developments.
The decision comes amid growing local opposition to the electricity-hungry facilities. Concerns have been raised regarding the impact of these data centers on the environment and household energy bills. However, the veto reflects a difficult trade-off for political leaders who must weigh those concerns against the millions of dollars in investment and tax revenue the projects provide.
Governor Mills stated that a moratorium would have been appropriate if it did not interfere with an ongoing data center project, noting that a freeze would hurt a part of Maine in need of an economic boost. Although the governor was initially supportive of the measure, she sought an exemption that the state legislature ultimately voted against.