Updated

April 18, 2026

Reading Time

1 min

On Tuesday, Maine lawmakers passed a bill banning the construction of “large” data centers, or those drawing over 20 MW of power, until 2027. Maine is currently home to 10 data centers, but if signed into law, the state would be the first to enact a ban on further data center construction. Elsewhere, individual municipalities have already implemented similar bans, and 10 other states are considering moratoriums on data center construction.

The bill must still be approved by Governor Janet Mills to become law. She has previously said she would favor a bill that pauses data center construction, with the exception of one already-planned data center project in Jay, Maine. The Jay data center is expected to create jobs without using more water or electricity than the paper mill it’s replacing. As opposition to data centers grows, developers might look to replicate the same blueprint, replacing existing out-of-use manufacturing operations with projects that have a similar grid and water footprint and improved job opportunities.

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Authors

Claire Schultz

Research Associate

Claire is a Research Associate at Contrary. Claire's academic research has centered primarily on particle physics, and has been published in Nature. Prior to Contrary, Claire worked on the investment team at Bridgewater Associates and studied mathematics and physics.

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