New York lawmakers are proposing a three-year moratorium on new data centers

New York state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would impose a moratorium of at least three years on permits associated with the construction and operation of new data centers. While the bill’s prospects are uncertain, Wired reported that New York is at least the sixth state to consider pausing construction of new data centers.

As technology companies plan to spend increasing amounts of money building AI infrastructure, both Democrats and Republicans have expressed concerns about the impact these data centers might have on surrounding communities. Studies have also linked data centers to increased household electricity bills.

Critics include progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has called for a national moratorium, as well as conservative Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said data centers would lead to “higher energy bills so some chatbot can screw some 13-year-olds online.”

More than 230 environmental groups, including Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace, recently signed an open letter to Congress calling for a national moratorium on the construction of new data centers.

Eric Weltman of Food & Water Watch told Wired that the New York bill — sponsored by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblywoman Anna Kelis, both Democrats — was “our idea.” Democrats in Georgia, Vermont and Virginia have also proposed pausing data centers, while Republicans have sponsored similar bills in Maryland and Oklahoma.

According to Politico, Kroger described her state as “woefully unprepared” for the “massive data centers” that are “targeting New York.”

“It is time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some time to adopt strong data center policies, and avoid falling into a bubble that will burst and leave New York utility customers paying a huge bill,” she said.

Last month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative called Energize NY Development, which her office said would modernize the way large energy users (e.g., data centers) connect to the grid, while also requiring them to “pay their fair share.”