PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 18, 2026
David Parent, superintendent of the Sanford Water District, said developers are eyeing parcels of land owned by New England Energy Co. along the Mousam River on the eastern side of town. The project would include independent power generation, a mixture of solar power, battery storage and fuel cells, Harrington It would not draw power from the broader electrical grid “imposing no negative impacts on other electric ratepayers.” It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the data center development. Large data centers, especially those centered on artificial intelligence, can consume massive quantities of water. That’s led to criticism in some parts of the country. The proposed center could use between 300,000 and 500,000 gallons of water per day.