Eastport residents raise concerns over underwater AI data center
In Lewiston, Androscoggin County (ME), Lewiston City Council and local residents debated municipal data center siting, utility infrastructure load, water consumption, and zoning rules during the June 15, 2026 session.
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Eastport residents raise concerns over underwater AI data center
Lewiston City Council · June 15, 2026
Timestamped Speaker & Testimony Ledger
3 verified timestamped clips extracted chronologically from the closed caption record. Select any clip to play that exact window in the master player or copy a canonical clip link.
- Clip 1 · 0:21 Lewiston City Council Officials and Speakers Elected Official Questioning auto captions, uncheckedZoning Power & Grid Water
Officials and speakers in Lewiston, ME address municipal data center zoning, grid capacity, and community impacts.
"Underneath its waters, the project would place computing infrastructure in Passamaquaddi Bay powered by tidal energy and cooled by the surrounding seawater. This is not something we need or want. And I don't know what we'll get from it, but for some Eastport residents like Sue Ellen Hendricks, the proposal is sending a wave of concerns about the potential impacts on marine life that she says is essential to this coastal town's identity. The temperature of the pods themselves will heat up the water, and that will kill the lobsters"
- Clip 2 · 0:56 Resident public comment Resident Public Comment auto captions, unchecked
Community members and local officials in Lewiston, ME weigh water supply, electricity rates, and neighborhood buffer rules.
"In response, some residents are urging the Eastport City Council to formally oppose the project and to consider a temporary moratorium until more environmental review is completed. If we could put a moratorium on it, uh, they might start losing investors. You know, the longer it takes, the less people are inclined to -- back -- it. It cannot happen in a vulnerable place like this, a vulnerable ecosystem. And a vulnerable economy."
- Clip 3 · 1:35 Lewiston City Council Member Elected Official Questioning auto captions, uncheckedZoning Power & Grid Water
Lewiston City Council members deliberate on municipal siting standards, utility capacity, and the recorded ordinance action.
"can reduce energy demands compared to traditional data centers, riding in part. The long term goal is to generate excess electricity that can be fed back to benefit the local community, all while operating a green system designed to leave zero permanent footprint at the end of its life cycle while at the same time providing high paying jobs and economic benefits to the surrounding communities. While the city council rejected the moratorium, town manager Brian Schth says it's because the project is in an early study phase,"
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