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Data center project · Washington County, Maine

DeepGreen Western Passage subsea compute hub

Paused by moratorium · A tidal-powered underwater data center proposed for the waters off Eastport, opposed by the city council, Washington County commissioners and Passamaquoddy officials, and still at the study-permit stage. Also known as: DeepGreen Western Passage Subsea-Compute & Infrastructure Hub, FERC Project No. P-15424-000.

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Status
Paused by moratorium · as of Aug. 19, 2026
Location
Western Passage of Passamaquoddy Bay, north of Kendall Head, Eastport · Washington County
Status note
FERC accepted the preliminary permit application for filing on Aug. 19, 2026; no permit had been issued in the sources reviewed, and a preliminary permit would only reserve the site for study, not allow construction. Eastport's 180-day moratorium covers data centers on land or underwater.
Power
15 MW
Under 50 MW as revised: in July 2026 the company cut Phase I from 15 MW to 1-5 MW and Phase II from 51 MW to at most 15 MW (upper value stored). The FERC notice lists up to 16 tidal turbine-generators of 300 kW each in a behind-the-meter loop with no grid connection.
Land
27 acres
Investment
$100 million, as reported by The Maine Monitor and the BDN
Developer and team
DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC (Louis Wolfson)
Water
Would use seawater for cooling; opponents raise thermal discharge risks to lobster habitat.
Evidence
Primary public records
Size class
Under 50 MW (outside main scope; kept for completeness)
Map position approximate, from the reported address or area. Updated Oct. 17, 2026.

Updates, newest first

  1. Aug. 19, 2026 FERC accepted the application, as supplemented June 8 and amended July 30, for filing and set Oct. 19 as the deadline for comments, interventions and competing applications. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Federal Register, 91 FR 54868), Aug. 25, 2026; Bangor Daily News (from The Maine Monitor), Aug. 24, 2026; The Maine Monitor (Monitor Local), Sept. 4, 2026)
  2. Aug. 12, 2026 The Eastport City Council unanimously adopted a 180-day moratorium on data centers on land or underwater. (Maine Public, Aug. 14, 2026; Maine Public, Aug. 26, 2026)
  3. July 15, 2026 FERC found four deficiencies in the application, including the tribes notified and a 400-acre operating envelope around a 27-acre footprint; the company had already scaled back its power plans. (The Maine Monitor (Monitor Local), July 23, 2026)
  4. April 9, 2026 Washington County commissioners wrote to the developer that they did not support the permit application. (Bangor Daily News (from The Maine Monitor), May 27, 2026)
  5. Feb. 11, 2026 DeepGreen applied to FERC for a 48-month preliminary permit to study an underwater data center in the Western Passage (Project No. P-15424-000). (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Federal Register, 91 FR 54868), Aug. 25, 2026; Bangor Daily News (from The Maine Monitor), May 27, 2026)

Conflicts and open questions

  • Common Dreams (Aug. 24, 2026) headlined that regulators had issued a key permit; the FERC notice and the BDN/Maine Monitor report show only that the application was accepted for filing.
  • Footprint is about 27 acres of seabed; the 400-acre envelope is the company's requested study area.

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