Julie Chang

Welcome to Tech News Briefing.

It's Friday, April 3rd.

I'm Julie Chang for The Wall Street Journal.

In Maine, a battle is brewing over the future of AI and tech.

We'll tell you about a bill that could put a pause on new data center construction projects driven by fears of soaring electricity costs and pollution.

Then in Russia, the Kremlin has long tried to rein in the influence of Western platforms, and that goal may now be within reach.

That's thanks to Max, a new Russian super app that could help cement state control over the digital lives of millions of Russians.

First up, Maine is set to make history as the first U.S.

state to put the brakes on data center construction with a temporary moratorium.

The proposed bill aims to freeze all large new data center projects until November 2027.

Why the drastic measure?

Maine already grapples with some of the highest residential electricity prices in the nation, and elected officials fear a wave of data center power demand will push those costs even higher.

WSJ reporter Will Parker joins us to break down this landmark power struggle and which areas it could pop up in next.

So Will, can you give our listeners just a brief rundown of this bill?

What are the highlights we should know?

And which data centers would be impacted by this?

Okay, so data center construction isn't a particular concern for residents of Maine.

This is preemptive.

There are other states or areas that are looking into similar legislation.

Could you tell us a bit about those?