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Jay Data Center Plan Stalls
Coverage from The Atlantic, The Maine Monitor, and others
A proposed $550 million data center redevelopment at the former Androscoggin Mill in Jay, Maine, was placed on hold after Sentinel Data Centers withdrew while state and local officials debated restrictions on new facilities.
Governor Janet Mills vetoed a statewide moratorium that did not exempt the Jay project and created an advisory council to recommend safeguards for electricity costs, grid reliability, environmental impacts, and community benefits. The project offered a potential industrial-site reuse and tax revenue, but its future remains uncertain as Maine communities and candidates weigh pauses, local bans, and tighter conditions.
Maine’s policy response has moved from debate toward implementation, with the advisory council meeting and several communities adopting temporary restrictions. The project’s economic case is also quantified more specifically through an estimated $6 million in annual property-tax revenue.
The update mainly confirms that Maine’s data-center fight has shifted from the Jay project itself to a broader statewide policy process, with the project still stalled and no clear resolution yet. The newest development is that JGT2 is now actively seeking alternative interested parties while the regulatory debate continues.