Inside DeepGreen’s Maine Subsea Data-Center Proposal

DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC proposes an underwater data center near Eastport, Maine, pairing 34 subsea compute pods with tidal generation. Its federal filing describes generators with a combined nameplate rating of up to 4.8 megawatts. The computing capacity remains unspecified in the notice.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepted the preliminary-permit application for filing in August. Comments, requests to intervene and competing filings are due October 19. DeepGreen is seeking priority to pursue a license while it studies the project’s feasibility. Building it would require separate approval.

A turbine rating is only one part of the design

FERC’s August 25 notice lists up to 16 marine turbine-generators, each rated at 300 kilowatts. Together, the turbines would have a combined rated capacity of up to 4.8 MW. The notice also describes a 1.5-mile combined power-and-fiber cable and a captive generation loop without a grid connection.

That rating does not show how much electricity the turbines would produce over time, how steadily they would supply it or how much would reach the servers. The notice does not specify the computing equipment’s power requirements.

Earlier reporting described larger design concepts. The Maine Monitor’s August 21 account reported a revised maximum of 15 MW, down from an earlier 51 MW proposal. It is unclear how those earlier designs relate to the equipment listed in the federal notice. The full amended application would be needed to reconcile the figures.

The next federal decision concerns priority

A preliminary permit would give DeepGreen priority to file a license application while it studies feasibility. FERC’s notice says that even an issued preliminary permit would not authorize land-disturbing activities or entry onto others’ land or water without permission. Acceptance of the application is an earlier step.

The Maine Monitor reported in September that Louis Wolfson described the permit as permission to study, rather than to construct. The project’s start date, financing and customer commitments remain unclear.

Local restrictions remain a separate question

Eastport’s council approved a ban on large-scale data centers on September 9 and authorized the city to seek a formal role in FERC’s review. Its signed September 22 letter requests denial of the preliminary permit and says the ordinance includes underwater centers within the areas covered by its provisions.

The same letter anticipates work to strengthen and clarify local protections. The ban’s offshore reach and its relationship to federal authority remain unclear.

The participants and the next records to watch

FERC’s decision on the preliminary permit is the next major milestone after the October 19 filing deadline. Further studies could clarify the project’s phases, power supply and technical performance. Construction approvals, financing and commercial agreements would give a clearer picture of its prospects.

The federal notice names DeepGreen Western Passage SPV LLC as applicant and Louis Wolfson as its contact. The Maine Monitor reports that ORPC, the Maine tidal-energy company, says it is not affiliated with the project. The reviewed records do not establish ownership behind the applicant or identify committed financing or signed supplier or customer agreements. Western Passage remains a proposed project.