Washington, D.C. – Today Maine Governor Janet Mills announced that she will veto LD 307, a bill that would have instituted a temporary moratorium on the construction of AI data centers and created the Maine Data Center Coordination Council to assist towns with future considerations regarding the industry.

In response, Food & Water Watch’s managing director of policy and litigation, Mitch Jones, issued the following statement:

“With this veto, Governor Mills has demonstrated a shocking disconnect with the people of Maine, their elected legislators, and a large and growing national movement against the reckless explosion of this highly problematic industry. Mainers and people across the country are becoming increasingly fed up with the skyrocketing electricity rates, false jobs promises, and harmful industrialization of small-town communities that hyperscale data centers bring wherever they land.

“The Maine legislature must now do what Mills won’t: stand up for the best interests of Mainers and their communities, and override this foolish veto immediately.”

Last October, Food & Water Watch became the first national organization in the country to call for a full nationwide moratorium on the approval and construction of new data centers. In a letter to Congress in December, more than 230 national, state and local organizations from across the country echoed this call. Meanwhile, Food & Water Watch has been active in fighting numerous proposals in many states, including California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.