Maine Governor Janet Mills vetoed a bill that proposed an 18-month pause on the construction of artificial intelligence data centers in the state. The decision was made to protect a $550 million data center project in Jay, Maine, which is expected to create hundreds of jobs. The project involves the redevelopment of the former Androscoggin Mill. The veto comes amidst growing concerns about the environmental impact of large-scale data centers and their consumption of electricity and water. The bill aimed to address these concerns, but Governor Mills felt it would harm a specific project with local support. The United States has the highest number of data centers globally, and their growth has accelerated with the rise of AI in the tech industry. While many leaders are responding to resident concerns about power and water consumption, the federal government is attempting to keep regulation light.