Janet Mills Is Undecided On Whether To Sign A Bill Banning Data Centers In Maine

WESTBROOK, Maine — Gov. Janet Mills said Friday that she hasn’t decided whether to motion a measure passed by nan Legislature to impose a statewide moratorium connected caller information centers, outlining her critique of nan legislation.

“It’s connected my desk. I’m going to publication it. Read it very carefully,” Mills, a Democrat, said successful a wide-ranging question and reply pinch NBC News, adding that it doesn’t incorporate a “carveout” she wanted for a task successful nan struggling municipality of Jay successful bid to boost jobs.

Mills’ determination is being intimately watched: The first-of-its-kind measure comes amid a nationalist statement that features growing section opposition to nan huge, energy-hungry structures that powerfulness the growing and disruptive artificial intelligence industry. The second-term politician is besides moving for nan U.S. Senate.

The measure, passed earlier this week, would enforce a moratorium connected caller information centers successful Maine until nan autumn of 2027. Mills has 10 days to determine whether to motion nan bill, veto it aliases different let it to go rule without her taking action.

“I person already expressed publically concerns for nan task that’s projected successful Jay, Maine, which has mislaid really 2 insubstantial mills successful that organization successful nan past mates years,” Mills said.

“It was astir apt 1 of nan worst days of my tenure arsenic governor, erstwhile successful nan mediate of nan pandemic and nan George Floyd demonstrations, protests, we saw a video of nan digesters successful Jay falling over,” she added. “At that moment, we each thought that 300 aliases much group astir apt had died successful that explosion. Fortunately, that wasn’t nan case, but it brought tears to my eyes, and I was saying to group successful my office, bring connected nan locusts. Where are nan locusts?”

“And that mill evidently closed and they mislaid each nan jobs they had, beautiful overmuch different than work jobs, and those group merit a bully look astatine what that information halfway could do for nan for nan community. So I person said that I would want a carveout for Jay,” she continued.

“I’m besides concerned astir what information centers person done successful different states — depletion of energy and h2o usage, those kinds of things,” Mills said. “This 1 is correct connected nan Androscoggin River, and that insubstantial mill erstwhile utilized 40-something cardinal gallons of h2o each day. So I’m looking astatine nan comparison there, and whether aliases not it’s viable.”

Asked if she mightiness veto nan measure and inquire nan Legislature for a rewrite, Mills said it would beryllium “difficult astatine this shape of nan game.”

Lawmakers only “come backmost for 1 day,” she said, “for veto day.”