Power Supply Chain and Demand in Maine
ISO-NE runs most of Maine's grid. 591 MW of new generation is planned in Maine, 103 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 12 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 29.99¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +9.2% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, and construction employment is +16.2% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 24 local moratoria or restrictions for Maine across all statuses (16 in force) and 3 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Maine
Maine is building power faster than most states, and the jobs data shows it. Power and communication line construction jobs grew 99.4% from 2019 to 2025 (1st of 44). Electrical contractor jobs, the trade every data center, substation and plant needs first, grew 44.1% from 2019 to 2025, 3rd in the country. Construction employment is +16.2% against August 2019, 20th of 48 states where BLS publishes it. Households pay part of the cost: residential prices are +9.2% year to date, the 14th fastest increase of 51. Factory employment is the exception: manufacturing jobs are -4.0% against August 2019.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 30.3k | 35.2k | ▲ 16.2% | 20th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,132 | 4,513 | ▲ 44.1% | 3rd of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 626 | 1,248 | ▲ 99.4% | 1st of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 611 | 805 | ▲ 31.8% | 29th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 3.2% | 3.2% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 27.46¢ | 29.99¢ | ▲ 9.2% | 14th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 6.2 GW operating | 0.6 GW planned | 10% of fleet | 34th of 51 |
Where Maine ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Among its neighbors, Maine leads on power line construction jobs, 2019 to 2025 (+99.4%), ahead of New Hampshire (+23.1%).
County spotlight
Cumberland County holds the most data centers on record in Maine (8), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +51.9% since 2019 to 1,145 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in York County: 271 MW, led by Freedom Pine Solar, LLC (solar). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Androscoggin County, where contractor jobs grew 61.3% to 758.
Where Maine sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- ISO-NE
- Operating capacity
- 6.2 GW
- Planned generation
- 591 MW
- Under construction or built
- 103 MW
- Data centers identified
- 12
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 3.2%
- Residential price change
- +9.2%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Maine, county by county
16 counties in Maine. Planned generation sits in 8 of them, data centers stand in 3, and local measures are on record in 2. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 10
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 8 | 27 MW | — | West Baldwin Solar Station LLC | 1,145 | ▲ 51.9% | — | — | |
| Penobscot County | 3 | 68 MW | — | VCP Realty, LLC | 385 | ▲ 13.6% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Aroostook County | 1 | — | — | — | 183 | ▲ 66.4% | — | — | |
| York County | — | 271 MW | — | Freedom Pine Solar, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Hancock County | — | 102 MW | 102 MW | Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Knox County | — | 74 MW | — | Warren Meadow Solar Station, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Androscoggin County | — | 30 MW | — | Turner Meadow Solar Station, LLC | 758 | ▲ 61.3% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Sagadahoc County | — | 17 MW | — | Topsham Meadow Solar Station LLC | 92 | — | — | — | |
| Waldo County | — | 1 MW | 1 MW | VCP Realty, LLC | 145 | — | — | — | |
| Washington County | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Every county in Maine 16
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 25
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | Cumberland County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Brunswick | Cumberland County + Cumberland County | 3 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Town moratorium on data centers through November 29, 2026 In force | |
| Bangor | Penobscot County | 2 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Data center moratorium, extended six months in September 2026 In force | |
| Orono | Penobscot County + Penobscot County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Lewiston | Androscoggin County | — | 1 (1 in force) | 1 | City council rejection of proposed data center In force | |
| Biddeford | York County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed city moratorium on data centers with no end date Proposed | |
| Bucksport | Hancock County + Hancock County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed 180-day moratorium on commercial data centers Proposed | |
| Buxton | York County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed 180-day data center moratorium, special town meeting Proposed | |
| City of Westbrook | Cumberland County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City of Westbrook (180-day data center moratorium enacted), ME data center moratorium In force | |
| Dover-Foxcroft | Piscataquis County + Piscataquis County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 180-day moratorium on data center applications In force | |
| Eastport | Washington County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Moratorium on the DeepGreen underwater data center proposal In force | |
| Ellsworth | Hancock County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through February 13, 2027 In force | |
| Gorham | Cumberland County + Cumberland County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through November 29, 2026 In force | |
| North Berwick | York County + York County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed local moratorium on data centers Proposed | |
| Paris | Oxford County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 180-day moratorium on data center development In force | |
| Peru | Oxford County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed 180-day data center moratorium (November ballot) Proposed | |
| Saco | York County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Temporary data center moratorium, extended 60 days In force | |
| Sanford | York County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through January 31, 2027 In force | |
| Scarborough | Cumberland County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Scarborough takes step towards zoning out data centers Proposed | |
| Town of Brunswick | Cumberland County + Cumberland County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Town of Brunswick (180-day data center moratorium), ME data center moratorium In force | |
| Town of Scarborough | Cumberland County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Town of Scarborough (180-day data center moratorium enacted), ME data center moratorium In force | |
| Town of Warren | Knox County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Town of Warren (180-day data center moratorium) data center moratorium In force | |
| Westbrook | Cumberland County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through November 28, 2026 In force | |
| Wiscasset | Lincoln County + Lincoln County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Wiscasset data center moratorium In force | |
| Maine | — | — | — | 1 | LD 307 Moratorium Amendment |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Maine, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- Data center projects in forecast framework
- 2 projects
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 6.2 GW
- Planned, all types
- 591 MW
- Under construction or built
- 103 MW
- Planned gas
- 0 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 103 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 12
- Operators
- 5
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 0
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -1.7%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.4%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 3.2% (-0.1 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +16.2%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -4.0%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +44.1%
- Electrician median pay
- $75,380
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.16×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 29.99¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +9.2%
- All-sector price change
- +8.5%
- Total retail sales change
- +0.7%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 5
- Local measures (in force)
- 24 (16)
- Watchlist projects
- 3
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- —
- Dedicated tax incentive
- None listed
Planned power plants in Maine
Every planned generator in Maine in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 12 | 576 MW | 103 MW |
| Battery storage | 2 | 15 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Pine Solar | York | Solar Photovoltaic | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Freedom Pine Solar, LLC |
| Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC | Hancock | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC |
| Warren Meadow Solar Station | Knox | Solar Photovoltaic | 74 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Warren Meadow Solar Station, LLC |
| Crooked Trail Solar | Penobscot | Solar Photovoltaic | 68 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | VCP Realty, LLC |
| Turner Meadow Solar Station | Androscoggin | Solar Photovoltaic | 20 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Turner Meadow Solar Station, LLC |
| Topsham Meadow Solar Station | Sagadahoc | Solar Photovoltaic | 17 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Topsham Meadow Solar Station LLC |
| West Baldwin Solar Station | Cumberland | Solar Photovoltaic | 17 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | West Baldwin Solar Station LLC |
| Emery Meadow Solar Station | York | Solar Photovoltaic | 16 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Emery Meadow Solar Station, LLC |
| South Portland ESS, LLC | Cumberland | Batteries | 10 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | South Portland ESS, LLC |
| Sanford ESS, LLC | York | Batteries | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Sanford ESS, LLC |
| Auburn PV - BD Solar Auburn LLC | Androscoggin | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | BD Solar Auburn LLC |
| Lewiston Jn PV - BD Solar Lewiston Jn LL | Androscoggin | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | BD Solar Lewiston Junction LLC |
| Hogs Bay | Hancock | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation |
| Emery Shute Solar One | Waldo | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | VCP Realty, LLC |
What the Maine build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Maine, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Pine Solar, LLC | 1 | 250 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC | 1 | 100 MW | 100 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Warren Meadow Solar Station, LLC | 1 | 74 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| VCP Realty, LLC | 2 | 69 MW | 1 MW | Solar | 2 |
| Turner Meadow Solar Station, LLC | 1 | 20 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Topsham Meadow Solar Station LLC | 1 | 17 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| West Baldwin Solar Station LLC | 1 | 17 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Emery Meadow Solar Station, LLC | 1 | 16 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| South Portland ESS, LLC | 1 | 10 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| BD Solar Auburn LLC | 1 | 5 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| BD Solar Lewiston Junction LLC | 1 | 5 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Sanford ESS, LLC | 1 | 5 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | 1 | 2 MW | 2 MW | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Maine footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names Maine. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check derived
3 of the 3 planned units of 50 MW or more in Maine that are not yet under construction (392 of 392 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Pine Solar | Solar | 250 MW | Jan 2029 | Dec 2025 | — | Freedom Pine Solar, LLC |
| Warren Meadow Solar Station | Solar | 74 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Warren Meadow Solar Station, LLC |
| Crooked Trail Solar | Solar | 68 MW | Oct 2029 | Sep 2026 | — | VCP Realty, LLC |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Maine
12 data centers run by 5 operators are identified in Maine. The full list by city is on the Maine Data Center Map page. Utilities report 0 large customer projects here to EEI.
No large customer projects reported to EEI for this state.
The Maine jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 660.2k | ▼ 0.1% | ▲ 3.6% (+23.1k) |
| Construction | 35.2k | ▼ 1.1% | ▲ 16.2% (+4.9k) |
| Manufacturing | 51.1k | ● 0.0% | ▼ 4.0% (-2.1k) |
| Mining and logging | 1.8k | ▼ 5.3% | ▼ 18.2% (-0.4k) |
| Retail trade | 82.2k | ▲ 0.9% | ▲ 2.0% (+1.6k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 611 | 805 | ▲ 31.8% | $142,920 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,132 | 4,513 | ▲ 44.1% | $72,971 |
| Power and communication line construction | 626 | 1,248 | ▲ 99.4% | $116,074 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 1,666 | — | $121,656 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 14,240 | $34,930 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 17,250 | $34,710 | 0.99× |
| Retail salespersons | 18,450 | $36,640 | 1.05× |
| All occupations | 640,610 | $51,430 | 1.47× |
| Construction laborers | 3,960 | $46,430 | 1.33× |
| Welders | 1,690 | $62,220 | 1.78× |
| HVAC mechanics | 2,250 | $63,170 | 1.81× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 2,710 | $64,000 | 1.83× |
| Electricians | 3,780 | $75,380 | 2.16× |
| Power plant operators | 190 | $81,060 | 2.32× |
| Power-line installers | 1,160 | $83,090 | 2.38× |
| Construction supervisors | 3,130 | $77,290 | 2.21× |
| Electrical engineers | 1,150 | $114,620 | 3.28× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Maine
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in Maine
State measures 5
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD 713 | Data centers excluded from state tax incentive programs | In force | 2026-04 | |
| Maine | Maine: Governor Janet Mills SIGNED LD 713 on April 24, 2026, prohibiting data center projects from Maine's business development tax incentive programs. | In force | 2026-04 | |
| LD 307 | Maine Data Center Coordination Council; temporary limitation on data centers | Failed / vetoed | 2026-04 | |
| Vetoed statewide moratorium on data centers | Vetoed statewide moratorium on data centers | Failed / vetoed | 2026-04 | |
| Maine (statewide) | Maine: Governor Janet Mills VETOED LD 307 on April 24, 2026, "An Act to Establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council and Place a Temporary Limitation | Failed / vetoed | 2026-04 |
Delay Watchlist projects 3
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD 307 Moratorium Amendment | Maine (statewide) | denied | 26 MW | ||
| Bates Mill Data Center (Lewiston) | Lewiston | cancelled | — | ||
| DeepGreen Western Passage underwater data center | Eastport (Washington County) | pending review | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (24) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Maine Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Maine's neighbors
Maine power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Maine?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 591 MW of planned generators in Maine, 103 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is solar 97%, battery storage 3%. The largest single unit is Freedom Pine Solar (250 MW, Freedom Pine Solar, LLC). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Maine?
ISO-NE serves most of Maine as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in Maine?
Construction employment is +16.2% against August 2019. Electrical contractor jobs went from 3,132 in 2019 to 4,513 in 2025 (+44.1%, 3rd in the country).
Is planned generation in Maine on schedule?
3 of 3 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date. They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Are electricity prices rising in Maine?
Residential electricity averaged 29.99¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +9.2% on a year earlier, the 14th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -1.7%.
What do electricians earn in Maine?
The median electrician in Maine earned $75,380 in May 2025, 2.16 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $83,090 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in Maine have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: York County (271 MW), Hancock County (102 MW), Knox County (74 MW).
Does Maine have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 5 state-level measures (2 enacted) and 24 local moratoria or restrictions in Maine, 16 of them in force, 21st most in the country.
Maine across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.