Home / Environment / Eastport Residents Fight Underwater AI Data Center
Eastport Residents Fight Underwater AI Data Center
17 Jul
Summary
- Two citizen ordinances target proposed underwater AI data center.
- Passamaquoddy Tribe rejects partnership, citing resource concerns.
- City Manager sent deficiency letter to FERC regarding application.
Public hearings are scheduled for next month regarding two citizen-initiated ordinances in Eastport, Maine, aimed at blocking a proposed underwater AI data center. These ordinances, spearheaded by the Eastport Coalition for Healthy Oceans (ECHO), seek to prohibit large-scale data centers within city limits and mandate voter approval for specific commercial developments.
The proposed project, initiated by DeepGreen, applied for a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in February. However, local opposition quickly emerged, with the City Council and Washington County Commission expressing concerns about the project's risks to the region's maritime industry.
Further complicating matters, the Passamaquoddy Tribe has explicitly rejected any collaboration with DeepGreen, demanding their FERC application be corrected to reflect this. Tribal leadership cited significant concerns about the project's potential impact on fisheries and cultural resources, viewing these issues as unmitigable.
Residents have also voiced worries about transparency regarding a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), with a Freedom of Access Act request revealing limited communication between DeepGreen and the city. In response to these concerns, the City Manager recently sent a deficiency letter to FERC, highlighting missing information in the application, mirroring a deficiency noted in a separate FERC filing for an Alaska project.
