Brunswick approves 180-day moratorium on new data centers

Brunswick has put a 180-day hold on new data centers, giving town officials time to decide whether a large, power-hungry industry fits on scarce land in a community already watching utility costs, grid strain and nearby development pressure.

The Brunswick Town Council approved the moratorium on June 1, and the ordinance now pauses town action on applications tied to the siting, permitting, construction or operation of any new, enlarged or expanded data center. Under the rule, Brunswick will spend at least 180 days gathering information on how data centers could affect the local energy grid and environment, then draft new ordinances and regulations before any major proposal comes forward.

The town defined a covered data center as one with at least 10,000 square feet of floor area or 20 megawatts of electrical capacity. In the ordinance’s own language, officials say such facilities can consume disproportionate amounts of water and electricity, strain local energy systems, raise residential utility costs, create noise and heat islands, and place added burdens on town resources and facilities. Supporters of the industry argue that data centers can bring jobs, tax revenue and broader economic development; Brunswick’s pause puts those trade-offs on hold while local rules are written.

The move also came against a fast-moving state backdrop. Gov. Janet Mills vetoed L.D. 307 on April 24, 2026, and the Legislature sustained that veto. Four days later, Mills created a 15-person Maine Data Center Advisory Council by executive order, with recommendations due by January 29, 2027. The vetoed bill would have created a statewide coordination council and imposed a moratorium on municipal and state permitting of data centers with a load of 20 megawatts or more until November 1, 2027. Brunswick’s action leaves the town aligned with the state debate even as it takes its own local step.

Town Manager Julia Henze has said there are no data center proposals on the horizon for Brunswick, but local leaders wanted to be ready if one emerges. That matters in a town where the issue is not entirely theoretical: Brunswick Landing already has a smaller-scale data center owned by FirstLight. Town officials have said that facility has not been a problem and does not store artificial intelligence data. FirstLight said in February 2025 that it expanded the site, doubling its power capacity, while keeping it a 2N facility with fully redundant electrical feeds and renewable power.

Brunswick is not alone. Sanford approved a 91-day pause on data-center development, Westbrook moved a proposal through committee, and other Maine municipalities have been weighing similar limits. For Brunswick, the moratorium gives the town a formal window to decide what it will allow before a large project can reshape its tax base, its utility system and the land around it.