Eastport ME 180-day underwater data center moratorium (2026)
Eastport, Maine — 180-Day Moratorium on Data Center Approvals, Halting the DeepGreen Underwater AI Data Center Proposal in the Western Passage (August 12, 2026)
Eastport, ME · City of Eastport, Me. — 180-day data center moratorium (adopted August 12, 2026)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- February 8, 2027
- Applies to
- DeepGreen Holdings LLC and any other data center developer seeking city approvals in Eastport during the moratorium
- Enforced by
- City of Eastport code enforcement / Eastport Planning Board / Eastport City Council
Eastport's City Council voted unanimously on August 12, 2026 to enact a 180-day moratorium halting all local approvals for data center development. The target is unusual: DeepGreen Holdings LLC has proposed a tidal-powered underwater artificial intelligence data center in the waters of the Western Passage off Eastport. Councilors said the pause gives them time to work with the Planning Board on two citizen-initiated ordinances that would amend the city's Zoning and Shoreland Zoning ordinances to prevent data center projects in Eastport. Residents and Passamaquoddy tribal officials had opposed the project since DeepGreen filed a 48-month preliminary permit application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in February 2026. The limits of a local moratorium showed quickly: one week after Eastport acted, FERC accepted the DeepGreen application for filing, and on September 8, 2026 Eastport residents asked for a formal role in the federal review. A city moratorium governs local permits and zoning; it does not control FERC's licensing of a project in federal waters.
Who is protected: Eastport residents, Passamaquoddy tribal interests in the Western Passage, and the shoreland and marine environment of the Western Passage
Legal detail
City of Eastport, Me. — 180-day moratorium on data center development approvals, adopted unanimously by the City Council on August 12, 2026. STATED PURPOSE: to allow the Council to consult the Eastport Planning Board on the zoning implications of two citizen-initiated ordinances that would amend the city's Zoning Ordinance and Shoreland Zoning Ordinance to prevent data center projects in the city. TARGET PROJECT: DeepGreen Western Passage SVP, a tidal-powered underwater AI data center proposed by DeepGreen Holdings LLC (managing member Louis Wolfson, a Needham, Mass. real estate developer; the entity was formed in Delaware one month before its FERC filing). FEDERAL POSTURE — THE MATERIAL LIMIT ON THIS ENTRY: DeepGreen filed a 48-month FERC preliminary permit application in February 2026; FERC accepted that application for filing roughly one week after the moratorium passed, and on September 8, 2026 Eastport residents sought formal public-input standing in the federal proceeding. A municipal moratorium reaches local permits, zoning and shoreland approvals; it does not displace FERC jurisdiction over a hydrokinetic project. OPPOSITION: Eastport residents and Passamaquoddy tribal officials. SUNSET: 180 days from August 12, 2026, i.e. on or about February 8, 2027, unless extended or superseded by the citizen-initiated zoning amendments.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Eastport, ME |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 12, 2026 |
| Citation | City of Eastport, Me. — 180-day data center moratorium (adopted August 12, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | No city approval for data center development may issue during the 180-day moratorium |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI · consumer protection |
| News report | Eastport adopts moratorium on underwater data center proposal — The Maine Monitor |
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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