{"text":[[{"start":8.65,"text":"Legislators in Maine have passed the first statewide data centre ban in the US amid growing pushback across the country to the rapid rollout of infrastructure underpinning the build-out of AI."}],[{"start":22.89,"text":"The bill, sponsored by Democratic state Representative Melanie Sachs, passed mostly along party lines but won support from some Republicans and will now be sent to the governor’s desk for signing."}],[{"start":37.18,"text":"Its passing comes less than a year after St Charles, Missouri, became the first city in America to pass a data centre moratorium — which has since been copied by dozens of other US localities."}],[{"start":50.76,"text":"States including Georgia, Oklahoma and Virginia have also put forward proposals for temporary data centre bans amid growing concerns over the energy costs of such projects and their environmental impact."}],[{"start":65.34,"text":"Dozens of data centres with combined investments of $156bn have been blocked by local opposition in the past year, according to analysis by research firm Data Center Watch."}],[{"start":78.74000000000001,"text":"At the national level, Bernie Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic Congress member from New York, last month introduced a bill to pause US data centre construction."}],[{"start":94.88000000000001,"text":"Maine is home to few data centres, but investors are looking to build more. A $550mn project is planned at the site of a former paper mill in the town of Jay."}],[{"start":108.36000000000001,"text":"The state’s legislation, closely watched by activists across the US, would prohibit construction of data centres using at least 20 megawatts of power until late 2027 so that environmental and economic impacts could be properly evaluated. "}],[{"start":126.49000000000001,"text":"Governor Janet Mills, who is running for the US Senate and faces a strong primary challenge from progressive Democrat Graham Platner, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday."}],[{"start":138.32000000000002,"text":"A spokesperson for the governor told local news outlet WMTW that she “agrees with lawmakers that the rapid growth of large-scale AI data centres warrants careful evaluation of impacts on public resources, the environment and Maine ratepayers, and she supports a moratorium as put forth in [the bill] to ensure those impacts are fully understood”."}],[{"start":164.10000000000002,"text":"The spokesperson added that Mills supported an exemption to the legislation for the Jay project."}],[{"start":172.28000000000003,"text":"Maine’s bill has also been watched closely by AI industry lobbyists. Nathan Leamer, a DC-based campaigner for Build American AI, which advocates for the industry’s priorities, said the state was “kneecapping” its own economy by voting for the measure. "}],[{"start":189.52000000000004,"text":"“Beyond the tradesmen and skilled workers who will now look elsewhere for opportunities to build, Maine is also delaying economic opportunities that will come from increased capacity,” he said."}],[{"start":201.61000000000004,"text":"But Anirban Basu, chief economist for the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade association for the construction industry, said the development was “unsurprising”."}],[{"start":214.10000000000005,"text":"“Maine suffers among the most elevated rates of electricity in the nation, rendering citizens more sensitive to one of the most important implications of data centre development,” he said, adding that data centres “don’t fit neatly with the state’s conception of itself, which revolves around fishing, hunting and the great, unspoiled outdoors”."}],[{"start":244.87000000000003,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1776266001_4290.mp3"}