AUGUSTA – Today, Gov. Janet Mills announced that she will veto LD 307, a bill sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, that would have instituted a temporary pause on the construction of data centers and created the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to assist towns with future implementation.
Following the announcement, Rep. Sachs issued the following statement:
“In 2024, Governor Mills established the Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force to analyze the potential opportunities and impacts of this new technology on our state. In their report of policy recommendations that was issued last fall, the group explicitly stated that Maine should develop a playbook for responding to new data center development projects.
LD 307 would have done exactly that, positioning Maine to respond thoughtfully and deliberately to this rapidly evolving industry. It would have given us the time necessary to evaluate how these projects may affect our state while assessing both the benefits and the risks.
Since I brought this bill forward, the Legislature has heard from thousands of people in communities across Maine who are concerned about energy affordability and have asked us to take action and temporarily pause these projects. We listened, and the bill received strong, bipartisan support in floor votes earlier this month.
By vetoing this bill, Governor Mills isn’t just rejecting the advice of her own task force – she is resisting the will of a majority of Maine people. While a veto might protect the proposed data center project in Jay, it poses significant potential consequences for all ratepayers, our electric grid, our environment, and our shared energy future.
This decision is simply wrong.”
Sachs is serving her third term in the Maine House and represents Freeport. She serves as House chair of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Sachs) | 305-965-2744
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