The One Town That Wants a Data Center
While many American communities are resisting the construction of data centers due to environmental and power concerns, the town of Jay, Maine, is actively lobbying for one. Governor Janet Mills vetoed a statewide moratorium bill specifically to allow the Jay project to proceed.
Why it matters
The tension between local economic needs and national environmental opposition highlights the complex infrastructure challenges of the AI era.
Part of the former Androscoggin paper mill in Jay, Maine. August 3, 2026, 7:31 AM ET Share Save O pposition to data centers may be the singular unifying issue in American politics. Seventy percent of Americans are against data-center construction in their communities. They worry about the environmental dracularity of these facilities, the electrical costs they may impose, and the imperiousness with which tech companies target struggling communities while drastically altering the landscape. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have spoken out against data centers; so have Steve Bannon and the right-wing podcaster Matt Walsh.
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