New York has become the first U.S. state to implement a temporary ban on the construction of new large data centers. Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order pausing environmental permits for facilities exceeding 50 megawatts for up to a year. This move aims to allow the state to develop regulations addressing the significant energy and water demands of these facilities, as well as their environmental impact. The moratorium comes amid growing concerns nationwide about the strain data centers place on power grids and natural resources, particularly with the accelerating demand driven by AI. AI
IMPACT This moratorium could slow AI infrastructure build-out in the US and potentially shift development to other regions.
RANK_REASON First statewide ban on data center construction in the US.
- Kathy Hochul
- Maine
- New York
- New York State Department of Public Service
- data center
- Janet Mills
- The Washington Post
- Bruce Blakeman
- Donald Trump
- Fortune
- The Verge
- Tom's Hardware
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