Several Maine towns approve data center moratoriums on local ballots

After Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a temporary statewide data center moratorium earlier this year, voters in several Maine towns approved local ordinances this week. 

Voters in Peru, a town in Oxford County, approved a 180-day moratorium on data center development and permitting. The local ballot question received 578 votes in support and 182 against, according to local results on the town website. 

Wiscasset voters also approved a measure to temporarily stop the town from accepting, processing, reviewing or approving applications for new or expanded data centers. Unless lifted earlier or extended, it would expire six months after enactment.

The Wiscasset moratorium got 1,363 votes in favor and 713 against. 

In York County, voters in Wells were asked if they want a 180-day moratorium on development of data centers 100,000 square feet or larger. Residents were resoundingly in favor of the measure, with 5,818 yes votes and 1,282 no votes. 

But not every moratorium was successful. In North Berwick, a ballot question that would have created an outright ban on data centers larger than 25,000 square feet failed. The measure got 738 votes in support and 1,698 votes against.