PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 13, 2026
A large data center is in the works in southern Maine, Sen. Matt Harrington, R-York, told fellow state lawmakers Thursday, but the details of the project are unclear. Harrington brought up the project as he and other members of the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee discussed a potential moratorium on new data center development in the state. But Harrington said such a moratorium “would harm” a data center proposed in his district “that’s well along in the planning process.” Data centers — facilities that house computers to store data and run online applications and services — require significant amounts of power to operate. As they rise in prevalence, they could consume up to 12% of the country’s total electricity usage by 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.