Maine has emerged as a trailblazer in the national discourse surrounding the escalating energy demands of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, with its legislature on Tuesday passing a bill that calls for a temporary halt to the construction of large data centers. This landmark legislative action, now awaiting the signature of Democratic Governor Janet Mills, positions Maine as the first state in the United States to implement a statewide moratorium specifically targeting these power-hungry facilities, which are increasingly straining local electric grids and raising profound environmental and economic concerns....