Maine voters are pushing back against proposed AI data centers, and the issue has become a major theme in the state's Senate race, according to a report from The Verge.
At the final debate of the midterms, an audience member told Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, "I'm terrified. AI data centers are destroying our climate. They are poisoning our water." Collins tied the man to her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson.
The report says Maine's Legislature passed a statewide moratorium on large data centers in April. Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the bill 10 days later. Towns across the state have since adopted temporary moratoriums or plan to put data center expansion to a vote this November.
The Verge cites a September poll by UMass Lowell and YouGov. It found 76 percent of Mainers oppose building a data center in their community, and 58 percent are strongly opposed.
The report says the Maine Senate race will be the most expensive Senate race per capita in US history. Democrats are projected to spend $81 million and Republicans $114 million. The report says much of that money comes from the data center and AI industry.
Molly White, a researcher and software engineer who runs Tech Influence Watch, told The Verge that voters link data centers to higher utility costs. She said many Mainers already face record-high heating oil costs this fall. White also said the industry's campaign playbook resembles the one crypto companies used in 2024.
The report says developers often promise long-term jobs in rural communities. It cites economic research indicating that most data centers create virtually no net employment once construction ends. Mark Brewer, who chairs the political science department at the University of Maine, said Maine's history of extractive industries makes residents cautious. He said data centers have not delivered the jobs that paper mills once provided.