New York State Police have ruled Patricia Lawrence's death on Carey Road in Jay a homicide after an autopsy, as investigators seek security-camera footage and the investigation continues while the community mourns.
Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have frozen approvals for large data centers (over 20 MW) until Oct. 2027 while a state council analyzes their impact on the grid, electricity bills, air and water, saying a targeted moratorium can work but the Jay carve-out is needed. She noted a proposed $550 million data center in Jay would reuse existing infrastructure, create hundreds of jobs and boost tax revenue, and she plans an executive order to form a council to study Maine’s data-center effects and to block certain tax incentives for such projects. The Jay project has local support, while opponents warn the veto could raise rates and strain the energy grid.
Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill that would have frozen new large datacenters (>20 MW) until 2027 to study the grid and electricity costs, saying she supports a temporary moratorium but requires an exemption for the Jay project; she will instead push an executive order to form a council to study impacts and has barred datacenters from certain business tax incentives. The Jay site is expected to bring hundreds of construction and permanent jobs and significant tax revenue, illustrating the clash between investment and energy costs in a rural state, while several states nationally weigh similar limits on AI datacenter growth.
Flash flooding in Jay, Maine has caused road closures and stranded residents. Route 133 has been particularly affected, with significant damage reported.