Is the Wave of Data Center Bans Spreading in the US? Maine Set to Pass First Bill

For the first time in the United States, a state government is preparing legislation to ban the establishment of data centers. This bill prohibits the construction of large-scale data centers until 2027. As electricity rates have risen due to the influx of data centers, efforts are underway across various regions to delay the establishment of new facilities.

According to CNN on April 12 (local time), Democratic Party lawmaker Melanie Sachs from Maine introduced a bill earlier this year to temporarily ban the construction of new large-scale data centers. The outlet reported that the bill is expected to pass in Maine within the next few weeks.

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The core of this bill is the prohibition of establishing new data centers until 2027. During this period, the state's energy and environmental regulatory authorities are tasked with establishing regulatory standards for large-scale data centers.

The bill passed the House of Representatives, where the Democratic Party holds the majority, and received bipartisan support, with six Republican lawmakers voting in favor. Although the state Senate has not yet held a vote, passage is considered certain, as Governor Janet Mills has publicly declared support for the bill.

Maine is not the only state expressing concern about the proliferation of data centers. Other states such as New York, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Vermont have also adopted similar temporary bans. Several counties and cities have issued dozens of moratoriums as well. In certain regions, bills have been passed to regulate data centers' electricity and water consumption, usage fees, and the scope of information that must be disclosed to the local community.

Last month, Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez jointly introduced the "AI Data Center Moratorium" bill, which would temporarily halt the construction and expansion of new AI data centers nationwide until relevant regulations are established.

According to the bipartisan research institute Data Center Watch, more than 140 local organizations across the United States have blocked or delayed over $60 billion worth of data center project investments over the past year.

Republican Representative Stephen Long of South Carolina commented, "This issue goes beyond party lines," adding, "The main reason is that circumstances have changed so rapidly in recent years. Public policy simply cannot keep up with these changes."

As the number of data centers rapidly increases, local opposition has intensified. Data centers are called "energy guzzlers" due to their enormous electricity consumption, leading to widespread concerns about rising electricity bills. According to Democratic Party lawmaker Amy Roeder of Maine, the fear of higher electricity rates was cited as a primary motivation for introducing data center moratorium bills in Maine and other states.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, electricity rates in the United States rose 6.7% year-on-year in December of last year. In Washington D.C., electricity rates surged 23% over the same period. Major foreign media outlets identified the operation of data centers as a primary cause. Data centers require vast amounts of energy to power AI and other computing workloads. As concerns about rising household energy costs have grown due to the spread of data centers, President Donald Trump last month required big tech companies to shoulder electricity costs by establishing the "Electricity Ratepayer Protection Pledge."

CNN pointed out that there is also significant backlash against data center projects that are pushed forward secretly and rapidly without sharing relevant information with local residents. Jason Beckfield, a professor at Harvard University who studies data centers, said, "State lawmakers are responding to the speed, scale, and opacity of data center projects," adding, "This field (data centers) is characterized by a strong culture of secrecy, making it virtually impossible for ordinary residents and their elected representatives to keep up with what is happening."

On the other hand, the industry maintains that the expansion of data centers contributes to local economic growth. The Data Center Coalition, representing big tech companies and data center developers, stated, "The data center industry provides significant benefits to local communities and states, including job creation, investment inflows, and increased tax revenue."

According to Data Center Map, there are 4,146 data centers across all 50 U.S. states. Virginia, with 582 data centers, is the world's most densely concentrated region for data centers, followed by Texas with 436 and California with 289. As big tech companies and the Trump administration have aggressively invested to become global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI), the number of ultra-large hyperscale data centers forming the foundation for AI development has surged.

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