Multiple states in the U.S. are considering new bans on data center construction, with Maine or being the first to "break the ice."

Because U.S. data centers, which are already stuck in construction difficulties after failing to secure transformers and gas turbines, are now facing a new headwind— as midterm elections are approaching, a wave of legislation is sweeping across states to “pause the construction of new data centers.”

As the first state to “get the ball rolling,” Maine in the U.S. Northeast is expected to become the first area to ban the construction of new large data centers. The state’s House of Representatives passed a bill in March that would prohibit building data centers with specifications exceeding 20 megawatts (equivalent to the electricity supply for 15k households) before November 2027, so the state can assess the impact of such development on the power grid and the environment.

The bill is expected to pass smoothly through the Maine State Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, and Democratic Governor Janet Mills has also said she would conditionally support this freeze measure. Her condition is that the freeze bill would grant an exemption to a data center already planned in the locality.

A spokesperson for Mills told the media that the project is expected to bring urgently needed job opportunities, economic activity, and tax revenue to the local area. In this year’s election at year-end, Mills will be competing for a U.S. Senate seat.

There is no doubt that the pressure on the cost of living (electricity bills) caused by the rise of artificial intelligence is becoming a major issue ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

Because of concerns that data centers will further strain local power resources and drive up electricity prices, at least 10 states in the U.S., including New York, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, have lawmakers pursuing similar policies. As one of the major hubs for U.S. data center development, activists in Ohio are collecting signatures in an effort to put a referendum that would ban the construction of data centers onto the November ballot.

In addition to state-level legislation, some municipalities and counties in Michigan and Indiana have already implemented freeze policies on their own. Major cities such as Denver and Detroit are also considering similar bans.

Although Maine’s legislation may face obstacles during the amendment process, some political operators believe that the rollout of some form of ban in the state is essentially a done deal.

An attorney from Maine’s law and lobbying firm Preti Flaherty, Tony Buxton, said, “This is political reality—voters have a very strong fear of data centers and artificial intelligence.”

Towns such as Wiscasset and Lewiston in Maine recently proposed new data center projects, but after local residents opposed them, they were forced to pause or completely cancel them.

Meanwhile, U.S. data center developers are also keeping a close watch on similar legislative developments. Tracey Hyatt Bosman, a site selection consultant who works with data center developers, said that the proposed regulations in places looking to impose limits on data centers are a “red alert,” and that they are indeed narrowing the range of possible locations.

At the level of the U.S. Congress, last month, Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unveiled a legislative proposal to temporarily pause data center construction nationwide.

（Source: 财联社）