Eastport Residents Fight Proposed $413 Million Underwater AI Data Center

Residents of Eastport, Maine, are mobilizing to block a proposal by Massachusetts-based DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC to install an underwater AI data center and tidal-power infrastructure. The project, slated for the Western Passage of the Bay of Fundy near Kendall Head and Moose Island, has triggered a fierce local backlash over potential threats to the region's marine environment.

The proposed development is estimated to cost $413 million and would span 400 acres of seabed. According to project plans, the infrastructure would consist of 170 turbines and 34 "hive pods" containing AI servers. In response, local opponents have submitted two citizen-initiated ordinances designed to block the development, gathering enough signatures to trigger public hearings in August.

The Clash of Industry and Identity

Eastport is a community deeply dependent on its fishing industry, which serves as both its primary economic driver and a cultural anchor. For many residents, the introduction of industrial-scale server pods and turbines represents an existential threat to their way of life. "It's our identity," said resident Deborah Gillespie, while another resident, Suellen Hendrix, noted, "We don't have to have this. No one asked us if we wanted to have this."

DeepGreen has countered that the project is currently in a preliminary stage. The company has applied for a preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to conduct environmental and engineering baseline studies. Louis Wolfson, DeepGreen's managing member, stated that a preliminary permit is simply a request to allow the company to spend its own private capital on these multi-year studies.

The AI Infrastructure Race

This conflict reflects a broader global surge in demand for AI infrastructure. AI servers require massive amounts of electricity and cooling, challenges that DeepGreen aims to solve by utilizing the natural cooling properties of underwater environments and the energy of tidal currents. The Eastport site is one of two potential locations for the company's first project, with the other being in Alaska's Upper Cook Inlet.

However, the scale of the project raises critical questions about the environmental impact on marine migration corridors and the health of the local ecosystem. The tension highlights a growing friction between the rapid expansion of the tech sector and the preservation of traditional industries. The central point of contention remains whether the burden of proof for safety should lie with the developer or the community before any infrastructure is deployed.

What's Next

As the public hearings proceed, the Eastport City Council will determine if the proposed ordinances will become law, potentially ending the project's viability in Maine. While DeepGreen maintains that its studies are necessary to prove the infrastructure is bio-neutral, the community remains skeptical of the long-term consequences for the Bay of Fundy.