Maine lawmakers are advancing a bill that would make the state the first in the nation to place a moratorium on the construction of new data centers, as it studies the environmental and economic impact of massive construction projects that can consume huge quantities of energy and water.
The House gave initial approval to the bill last week. Six Republicans joined all but one Democrat in voting in favor of the measure, which would bar state and local agencies from accepting an application or issuing a permit for the development of data centers with a load of more than 20 megawatts of power before November 2027.
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