New York and Maine Diverge on Hyperscale Data Center Moratoriums

In 2026, two states addressed proposals to pause large-scale data center construction amid concerns about AI-related energy demand. New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order creating what her office and CBS News both described as the nation's first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, establishing new regulatory standards and a framework for local community investment tied to data center development. Hochul discussed the order publicly, including at a Western New York roundtable with state, business, and local leaders, and in a CBS News Face the Nation interview aired July 19-20, 2026. Separately in Maine, the legislature passed LD 307, a first-in-the-nation bill that would have created a Maine Data Center Coordination Council and imposed a temporary moratorium on new data centers until fall 2027. Governor Janet Mills, who was also running for U.S. Senate, initially withheld a decision on the bill, citing the absence of an exemption for the former Androscoggin Mill redevelopment project in Jay. On April 24, 2026, Mills vetoed LD 307 for that reason, while signing a related bill, LD 713, which bars data center projects from the state's business development tax incentive programs. The Maine Legislature subsequently failed to override Mills' veto of LD 307 before its session ended, according to Maine Morning Star, meaning the data center moratorium did not take effect in Maine. During the same final session, lawmakers passed measures allowing the incoming governor to spend up to $30 million sustaining SNAP benefits and created a $5 million annual safety net for reproductive rights providers ineligible for federal funding; Mills also opposed continued efforts to expand Wabanaki Nations sovereignty. New York's moratorium, by contrast, was implemented via executive order rather than legislation, and its specific duration and enforcement details were not detailed across the available reporting.