North Berwick has decided to skip a decision some neighboring towns are making amid growing debate about data centers — and let voters make the call instead.

At least six Maine municipalities have passed their own data center moratoriums, which temporarily prohibit development or consideration of large-scale data center development projects.

North Berwick is planning to take the issue directly to voters on the November ballot.

“The (Select) Board felt that since we were going to go to vote anyway, they would just like to present it to the town,” Town Manager Dwayne Morin said. 

Select Board Chair Michael Johnson Jr. said North Berwick’s decision to skip the pause is simple: The town hasn’t received any serious inquiries about a data center development. He’s also not even sure where one would hypothetically fit.

Municipalities began taking action after Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a statewide pause in April. Mills said the bill did not include necessary exemptions for an already approved data center in Jay. 

So far, Bangor, Brunswick, Gorham, Sanford, Scarborough and Westbrook have approved moratoriums ranging from 91 to 180 days.

Sanford’s initial 91-day pause came after the town received a proposal for a 1,000-acre data center development along the Mousam River, not far from North Berwick. Other municipalities, like Westbrook, decided to adopt a temporary ban proactively, even though no developments had been proposed there.

Select Board members also decided at a June 2 meeting that a moratorium would drag the process out because officials would have to send it to a town meeting first. In contrast, neighboring Sanford was able to approve a pause at an emergency City Council meeting.

“They’re proposing a data center a few miles from the North Berwick town line, and we’re trying to be proactive,” Johnson said, referring to the Sanford proposal. “It’s better to get your feet on the ground and know what you’re looking for or not looking for before the situation occurs.”

North Berwick’s ordinance language must be finalized by a Sept. 1 deadline to make the November ballot, officials said at the June 2 meeting.

Morin said that while the town has not received any data center proposals, residents and the board alike have reservations about such facilities’ electricity and water usage.

“Everybody that’s spoken about it would like to see the town not allow them,” Morin said.

Johnson added that the noise that data centers emit could be incredibly disruptive for North Berwick residents, especially when considering the noise that the potential Sanford development could cause.

“They emit a 90-decibel humming to it. It makes noise 24 hours a day,” Johnson said. “It’s the equivalent of a chainsaw running at full throttle.”

North Berwick’s planning and select boards say they will continue gathering information and working on ordinance language ahead of a public hearing scheduled for July 23.