North Berwick ME data center ban referendum (Nov. 2026)
North Berwick, ME — November 2026 Referendum on a Zoning Amendment to Define and Permanently Prohibit Data Centers of 25,000+ Sq Ft
North Berwick, ME · North Berwick, ME, referendum on 'Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Define and Prohibit Data Centers' (November 2026 ballot)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Developers of data centers of 25,000 sq ft or more in North Berwick, ME
- Enforced by
- Town of North Berwick (Select Board; code enforcement)
North Berwick, Maine voters will decide in November 2026 whether to change the town's zoning ordinance to define data centers and ban them permanently. The ban would apply to data center facilities of 25,000 square feet or more. The Select Board chose to send the question to voters instead of adopting a temporary moratorium.
Who is protected: North Berwick, ME residents
Legal detail
Town of North Berwick (ME) referendum question approved for the November 2026 ballot by the Select Board at its Tuesday (Aug. 18, 2026) meeting: 'Shall an ordinance entitled "Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Define and Prohibit Data Centers" be enacted?' The amendment defines data centers as any facility, structure or equipment that functions primarily 'to house networked computers, and/or network equipment, systems, servers, appliances, data and transaction processing equipment and associated infrastructure' and applies to an aggregate data center area of 25,000 sq ft or more. Officials decided in June 2026 to skip a temporary moratorium. Context: Gov. Mills vetoed statewide moratorium LD 307 (Maine Data Center Moratorium (vetoed)). NOT ESTABLISHED: the Select Board vote count.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | North Berwick, ME |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | North Berwick, ME, referendum on 'Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Define and Prohibit Data Centers' (November 2026 ballot) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | North Berwick to ask voters about data center ban, comprehensive plan change — Portland Press Herald (Aug. 19, 2026) |
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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