Committee forwards amended 180‑day moratorium on data centers to City Council

The Bangor City Business & Economic Development Committee voted to forward an amended ordinance imposing a 180‑day moratorium on new data centers to the City Council agenda for April 13.

Staff spokeswoman Ana told the committee the draft moratorium, based on samples from other communities and state law, would give the city time to write regulations addressing the technical and resource demands of data centers, including electricity and water use. She recommended waiving the ordinance’s first reading and moving directly to second reading at council with the two‑thirds vote the charter requires for that procedure.

Counselor Beck and others pressed for a longer pause, noting a state-level proposal extending moratoria into November 2027; staff replied that Maine law limits local moratoria to 180 days but allows one extension later if more time is needed. Committee members also discussed whether the moratorium should be retroactive to March 2 (as in the draft) or take effect on April 13; the committee agreed to an amendment changing the effective date to Monday, April 13.

The committee noted correspondence from the local water district manager and emphasized ongoing coordination with utilities because data centers can require significant water and power. With no additional amendments, a motion to forward the amended moratorium ordinance to the full council was moved and seconded; the committee record shows the motion was not doubted and therefore advanced to the council agenda.

The ordinance forwarded would impose a temporary local pause on permitting new data centers while staff develop regulatory language; the moratorium’s effective period is 180 days under state law. The City Council will consider the ordinance at its April 13 meeting and would need a two‑thirds vote to skip first reading and adopt it on second reading, as staff recommended.