Eastport Residents Battle $100 Million Underwater Data Center Plan

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently authorized a 48-month permit for DeepGreen Holdings, LLC, allowing the developer to begin environmental and engineering studies. While the agency-approved permit does not grant immediate construction rights, it marks a significant step for the project, which aims to leverage tidal energy to power servers while using ocean water for cooling. Developer Louis Wolfson previously agreed to scale back the facility’s energy capacity from 51 megawatts to 15 megawatts following federal pressure.

Local opposition remains fierce. Eastport’s City Council recently passed a 180-day moratorium on such developments, and citizens are now pushing for new ordinances to permanently block the site. Critics, including commercial fisherman Nathan Curtis, warn that the facility will function as an industrial heat sink, threatening lobster habitats and marine wildlife. Residents have largely rejected claims of safety from developers, signaling a broader regional resistance to the rapid expansion of data centers near protected coastal waters.