Senate bill would limit data centers' access to behind‑the‑meter hydropower at Millinocket site

A bill aimed at protecting local economic development at the former Great Northern paper mill in Millinocket dominated the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee's hearing on LD 912 on April 3. Sen. Chip Curry presented an amendment that would limit the amount of on‑site, behind‑the‑meter power that may be committed to data centers so that the resource can support a broader mix of industrial users and jobs.

Supporters said the site’s inexpensive hydropower is attractive to data centers, which can buy large blocks of energy and, proponents contend, could crowd out manufacturers and other employers that would create diversified local jobs. Shane Flynn of 1 North (the redevelopment entity for the mill site) told the committee the site has prospects for a salmon farm and a liquid biofuels plant that together could create more than 100 full‑time jobs and require tens of megawatts of power; Flynn said brokers are now “scouting activity from very large data center brokers,” and…