Banning Data Centers

I don’t imagine statewide bans on business approved by the federal government will hold up in the courts, but the issue of AI data centers is politically extremely hot and has a ton of potential for Democrats to get behind, if we nominate Democrats who are not in the pockets of AI douchebags at least.

Lawmakers in Maine this week approved a statewide moratorium on new data centers, the first legislation of its kind in the nation, at a moment when the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence industry is under intense scrutiny.

The fate of the moratorium now rests with Governor Janet Mills, a Democrat in a tough primary race for a United States Senate seat. She has ten days to veto the legislation, sign it into law or allow it to become law without her signature.

At least a half dozen other states are also considering restrictions on how, when and where data centers may be built. Lawmakers are concerned about the facilities’ use of water and electricity, the risks of pollution and the potential to drive up household energy costs, among other criticisms.

The pushback comes as the Trump administration is pressuring states to stay out of regulation of A.I. President Trump has threatened to sue states and withhold funding if they pass laws restricting the industry’s growth.

Of course, it’s hard to take Trump’s threats too seriously since he’s a blithering moron and TACO.

The Maine legislation would pause for 18 months approvals of new data centers that require more than 20 megawatts of power; it would also establish a study group to examine the impact of such facilities and recommend legislative guardrails. Separate legislation, also approved, would make data centers ineligible for certain business tax exemptions. Both legislative chambers are controlled by Democrats.

In Maine, a rural state hard hit by mill closures, limiting economic development — even temporarily — is complicated. Before the legislature finalized the measure, Governor Mills said that she would sign it if the pause included an exemption for a proposed data center in the rural town of Jay, which lost more than 200 jobs when its largest employer, a paper mill, shut down in 2023.

The project in Jay, which has been welcomed by local officials, would take over the vacant mill property and tap its existing infrastructure, an approach that proponents said should be treated differently than new construction sites on open land. Developers have said it would use a tiny fraction of the water once used by the mill, with no wastewater discharge to the Androscoggin River, while providing millions of dollars in tax revenue.

“I have to believe that sites like ours are where you would want” data centers, said Shiloh LaFreniere, the town manager in Jay, which has a population of 4,680 people and sits northwest of Augusta. “It’s not creating any impact that wasn’t there already.”

An amendment that would have allowed projects like Jay’s to proceed was defeated in the House, 115 to 29. Construction had been slated to begin in July.

Melanie Sachs, a Democratic state representative from Freeport who sponsored the data center legislation, said she understood the concerns in Jay; she grew up nearby and her father worked in its mill. She said the legislation would provide for a thoughtful process to ensure that developments are safe for residents. It would also provide clarity to data center operators about their obligations.

“We have evidence from other states telling us to plan carefully, because of negative impacts including noise, light, emissions, spikes in the power grid,” she said. “This bill is to make sure we meet the moment.”

Jay is the ultimate in deindustrialized towns that desperately want jobs again. But there are not any jobs with data centers, so…..

In any case, there’s a real potential for a left populism around data centers and I encourage that strongly. Fuck AI.