'If these centers arent thoughtfully planned and coordinated, they can place extraordinary demands on electric infrastructure, the surrounding environment and host communities': Maine becomes first US state to pass data centre construction ban

Date:
Wed, 15 Apr 2026 18:05:00 +0000

Description:
Maine has issued a temporary moratorium on data centers requiring more than 20MW of power until November 1, 2027.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Maine becomes the first US state to ban large data centers A temporary moratorium will restrict power to under 20MW A dedicated council will report back on its findings Maine has passed a new law restricting, and in many cases effectively banning, new data center construction in certain areas.

In doing so, Maine has become the first state to pass such a law, and with many others worried over the environmental impact of data centers, it might just be the first of many. As well as high energy and water usage, lawmakers are also worried that data center infrastructure might put unreasonably high pressure on the grid. Article continues below You may like Nearly half of US data centers planned for 2026 canceled or delayed Washington state rolls back sales tax exemptions for AI data centers Google signs data center deal which includes a 20-year commitment to add new clean power Maine imposes tough restrictions on data center buildouts The temporary moratorium puts a ban on new permits and approvals for data centers with a power load of more than 20MW, but 'temporary' is the big factor here, because it will only remain in force until November 1, 2027, when it will automatically be repealed.

The state also wants to establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to look into grid reliability, protection against rising energy costs for locals, the environmental impacts and any further economic effects.

This council has been given until February 1, 2027 to report its findings to the Governor, at which point it's entirely possible that proposals could
float to replace the temporary moratorium with a more permanent set of rules.

All of this comes at a time when hyperscalers and data center companies are being pushed for more transparency. Earlier this month, a group of investors urged companies like Amazon , Microsoft and Google to offer up more granular details about data center impacts on a per-campus basis. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
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As for what's next, we could start to see similar bans come in not only
across the US, but globally. Reports have claimed Georgia, Maryland,
Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin have already been exploring similar moves. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/if-these-centers-arent-thoughtfully-planned-and- coordinated-they-can-place-extraordinary-demands-on-electric-infrastructure-th e-surrounding-environment-and-host-communities-maine-becomes-first-us-state-to -pass-data-centre-construction-ban


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