BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 9, 2026
A developer who explored building a hyperscale data center in southern Aroostook County scrapped the project because of inadequate infrastructure and a temporary ban on the facilities that is advancing through the Maine Legislature. The data center, which has not been previously reported, was proposed for the Houlton area within the last year and was envisioned to use 50-200 megawatts. Data centers have drawn criticism for straining power grids and fresh water supply. A data center that could scale up to 50 megawatts is in the works in a warehouse on the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone. Other proposals in Lewiston, Wiscasset and Jay have been killed or halted because of backlash from residents or legislative initiatives.