Maine advisory council starts debating possible data center restrictions

MAINE PUBLIC • June 3, 2026

A new panel set up to examine potential policies and restrictions aimed at large-scale data centers in Maine has about eight months to deliver its recommendations to state lawmakers. The 17-member Maine Data Center Advisory Council held its first meeting Wednesday. The body was set up by Gov. Janet Mills this spring. The council is tasked with examining existing state regulations and devising ways to insulate Maine from damaging effects of huge data centers experienced elsewhere in the country. Communities around the U.S. that host big data centers have blamed the facilities for soaring electric bills, high water use and light and noise pollution.