As tech’s titans sprint to build a sprawling web of data centers to power the AI boom, some cities and states are racing to stop them.
Maine just became the first state to pass a ban on large data centers, sending a strong signal that many communities aren’t on board with an AI-powered future arriving quite so suddenly.
Lawmakers in Maine passed a bill this week to block the construction of large data centers in the state until November 2027. In the meantime, the state plans to use the breathing room to evaluate how the massive, power-guzzling tech complexes might impact the environment and energy in the state. The measure, which will only limit new builds temporarily, applies to large data centers that draw more than 20 megawatts of power – like the ones tech CEOs insist are key to unlocking AI’s full potential.
“This bill positions Maine to respond deliberately and responsibly to a rapidly evolving industry,” said Maine Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the legislation. “Since I brought this bill forward, people and communities across the state have been asking the Legislature to take action and temporarily pause these projects, which could have significant impacts on ratepayers, our electric grid and our environment.”
If it becomes law, the bill will create a state council to coordinate input and planning for data center projects. While Maine doesn’t yet host any large-scale data centers, a handful of proposals were in the works. The bill passed the state’s legislature, controlled by Democrats, but picked up some Republican support along the way.
After clearing the state’s House and Senate, the legislation will head to the desk of Maine Governor Janet Mills, who has yet to confirm if she will sign it. Mills is currently running for the Senate in a bid to oust Republican Senator Susan Collins, who has held onto her seat for the last five terms. Sachs said she is hopeful that Mills will sign the precautionary measure against tech’s AI expansion into law. Fast Company has reached out to the governor’s office but has not yet received a response.
AI boom, AI backlash
Companies benefitting from the rise of AI are currently enjoying a growth phase mostly untethered by laws and regulations, which have yet to catch up to the latest technology reshaping the world. Because the tech industry can move so quickly – and burn so much cash – without any red tape to slow it down, new technologies like AI can take root well before voters and regulators get to have a say in the matter. The flood the zone approach has plenty of precedent in the industry: Just look at Uber rushing into cities before its ridesharing platform was legal. Rather than waiting for a green light, the company threw cash at the fines and forged ahead.
Maine is just one of the many places around the country currently wrestling with how to handle artificial intelligence’s many impacts on society. Last week, voters in a Milwaukee suburb overwhelmingly passed a measure to limit the construction of future data centers without community input. The city council in Bangor, Maine just passed its own ban, designed to put any data center construction projects on ice for six months. A patchwork of cities and states around the country are in the process of enacting their own bans, many of which seek to buy communities enough time to determine the potential impacts of the power hungry, large-scale facilities.
“AI data centers are increasingly drawn to locations with available land and strong connectivity, qualities that Maine is well positioned to provide,” Sachs said. “But if these centers aren’t thoughtfully planned and coordinated, they can place extraordinary demands on electric infrastructure, the surrounding environment and host communities.”