Wells selectboard opens public hearing on proposed temporary moratorium for data centers

The Wells Board of Selectmen opened a public hearing June 16 on a proposed temporary moratorium that would pause permitting for large data centers while the town drafts local rules.

Residents urged the board to act quickly, warning of large electricity demands, water use and other community impacts. One attendee told the board that “the data center planners don't talk in square feet, they talk in megawatts,” and warned a single 300-megawatt project could consume a material share of the region’s power supply. Another speaker said those shifts could translate into “somewhere in a 50 to 100% increase in your electricity bill” for homeowners if local costs are reallocated.

State Representative Jerry Runte, who represents part of Wells, supported a pause but urged local drafting to align with the Maine Data Center Advisory Council’s forthcoming recommendations. “Done properly, a temporary pause should be a bridge to a durable, well-coordinated set of local protections,” Runte said, urging the town to use state-level work as a template.

Town counsel clarified a key procedural point: a moratorium affecting land use must be enacted by the legislative body at town meeting, not solely by the selectmen. Counsel advised the board that a special town meeting could be called before November and that retroactive language is legally permissible in many cases to address projects that have entered the planning process.

Board members and members of the public discussed possible thresholds—square footage or megawatts—so an ordinance can distinguish between server rooms for small businesses and industrial-scale 'hyperscale' facilities. Several speakers called for a 180-day pause to allow time for drafting and to avoid allowing applicants to gain 'vested' rights that would preempt new local standards.

The board voted to open the public hearing by voice vote (recorded as 5-0). Selectmen said they will work with planning staff, counsel and the public on ordinance language and timing, and may call a special town meeting or present a warrant article at the November town meeting for initial enactment. The board also discussed coordinating the town's approach with any state legislation or advisory council findings to avoid regulatory conflicts.

Next steps: the planning board will hold a public review and the selectmen said they would consider retroactive wording and thresholds before placing a finalized proposal before voters or a special town meeting.