The Maine Data Center Advisory Council (the Council) was established by Executive Order of Governor Janet Mills on April 29, 2026. The Council was formed to provide strategic input, facilitate coordinated state planning, and evaluate policy tools to address large-scale data center opportunities and related benefits and risks to the State of Maine.
The Council evaluates issues related to large-scale data centers located or proposed to be located in Maine, with the goals of protecting ratepayers, maintaining electric grid reliability, minimizing environmental impacts, and enabling responsible and appropriately sited economic development. The Council is directed to consider the State's policy goals related to renewable energy (Title 35-A, §3210), greenhouse gas reduction objectives (Title 38, §576-A), broadband service goals (Title 35-A, §9202-A), the state economic development strategy, and the legislative findings for natural resources protection set forth in Title 38, §480-A.
The Council shall submit a final report with findings and any recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Governor and the Legislature no later than January 29, 2027.
Immediate Agency Actions
Concurrent with the Council's work, the Maine Department of Energy Resources shall coordinate with the Public Utilities Commission to identify and implement strategies as soon as possible to protect ratepayers from new or increased energy costs resulting from data center development to the extent permissible under law. These strategies should be designed to:
- Safeguard customers against increased energy supply costs, including the risks associated with overbuilding new generation;
- Safeguard customers against increased transmission and distribution costs, including by mitigating the risk of stranded utility assets; and
- Promote the development of market and regulatory mechanisms to ensure that costs attributable to data center development are fully borne by the entities responsible for creating those costs.
On May 20, 2026, DOER sent a letter to the Commission (PDF) to encourage them to initiate a proceeding to gather information pertaining to existing processes for large data centers.
Council Membership
The Council consists of the following members:
- Celina Cunningham, Acting Commissioner, Maine Department of Energy Resources — Co-Chair
- Melanie Loyzim, Commissioner, Department of Environmental Protection — Co-Chair
- Michael Duguay, Commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development
- Sarah Curran, Director, Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
- Phillip Bartlett, Chair, Maine Public Utilities Commission
- Heather Sanborn, Maine Public Advocate
- Andrew Butcher, President, Maine Connectivity Authority
- Emily Cole-Prescott, Saco Deputy City Administrator (Maine Municipal Association seat)
- Maulian Bryant, Executive Director, Wabanaki Alliance (invited)
- Craig Nale, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs, Central Maine Power Company
- Erica Young, President, Versant Power
- Amy Turner, Chief Executive Officer, Fox Island Electric Cooperative
- Jack Shapiro, Climate and Energy Director, Natural Resources Council of Maine
- Nick Paquet, Business Manager, IBEW 1253
- Dr. Giovanna Guidoboni, Interim Vice President for Research and Dean of Maine College of Engineering and Computing, University of Maine
- Brendan Arbuckle, Chief Information Officer, The Jackson Laboratory
- Bill Birney, Vice President – Energy and Industrial, Penobscot General Contractors
Public Meetings
Council meetings will be held virtually and open to the public. Council agendas, meeting recordings, materials, and meeting summaries will be posted on this page. All upcoming and previous meetings of the Maine Data Center Advisory Council will be listed here as well as on the DOER meeting calendar. Sign up for email notifications about meetings using the email signup form linked below.
- Kickoff Meeting: June 3, 2026, 9:30am-12pm
-
The kickoff meeting will introduce the Council members, its purpose and scope, and preview the work ahead. Visit this page to register for the meeting.
Public Comments
There will be multiple opportunities and mechanisms for public input to shape the work of the Advisory Council. Interested parties should sign up to receive email updates using the link below to stay informed of upcoming comment periods.
Kickoff Survey
Prior to the first meeting, interested parties are invited to respond to this brief kickoff survey about focus areas for the Council’s work. Responses are due June 1 at 5pm. As the process continues, additional surveys and other methods for providing input will be announced through the email newsletter linked below and included on this page.
Please note: All content submitted in response to this survey is subject to the Maine Freedom of Access Act and may be disclosed publicly.
Email Updates
News and updates related to the Maine Data Center Advisory Council, including meeting information, opportunities for comment, and other details will be shared via an email newsletter. Visit this page to subscribe to the Council email list.