Bethel ME proposed 6-month data center moratorium (2026)
Bethel, ME — Proposed Six-Month Data Center Moratorium Ordinance Sent to an October 15 Special Town Meeting; Woodstock Preparing a Similar Vote (September 2026)
Bethel, ME · Bethel, Me., proposed data center moratorium ordinance (special town meeting Oct. 15, 2026)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Bethel
- Enforced by
- Town of Bethel (code enforcement / planning)
Bethel voters will decide at a special town meeting on October 15, 2026 whether to adopt a six-month moratorium on any data center development, giving the town time to write siting, permitting, construction and operating standards. The proposal came from the town's Ordinance Review Committee out of general concern, not a specific project. Neighboring Woodstock's selectmen have also asked for a similar moratorium to be prepared for a town vote, with no date set.
Who is protected: Bethel residents
Legal detail
Bethel, Maine — proposed moratorium ordinance: six-month moratorium on any data center development to allow an amendment to the Bethel Ordinance and other town codes 'to establish appropriate standards for the siting, permitting, construction and operation of data centers.' Definition: a facility that primarily contains electronic systems and equipment used to process, store or transmit digital information. Findings recited include water/energy consumption, grid strain and residential rate increases, noise, heat islands, inadequate current codes, and need for at least 180 days. Approved for the warrant at the Sept. 16, 2026 selectmen's meeting; special town meeting Oct. 15, 2026, 6 p.m., Crescent Park Elementary School. WOODSTOCK: at the Sept. 15, 2026 selectmen's meeting the board directed Town Manager Tonya Lewis to obtain Bethel's wording; no vote date set (not a formal measure yet). NOT ESTABLISHED: retroactivity clause; vote outcome.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Bethel, ME |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | Bethel, Me., proposed data center moratorium ordinance (special town meeting Oct. 15, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Not stated in the located source |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Bethel, Woodstock mulling data center moratoriums — Lewiston Sun Journal |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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