Why New York lawmakers want 3-year-pause on new data centers
What's the story
New York state lawmakers have proposed a bill to impose a three-year moratorium on permits for the construction and operation of new data centers. The move comes as Democrats and Republicans express concerns over the potential impact of these facilities on local communities. The bill, sponsored by Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly member Anna Kelles, is part of a wider trend with similar proposals being considered by Democrats in Georgia, Vermont, and Virginia, and by Republicans in Maryland and Oklahoma.
Rising fears
National data center ban proposed
The proposed moratorium comes amid rising fears that data centers could lead to higher home electricity bills. Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders has called for a national moratorium on new data centers, while conservative Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned these facilities could result in "higher energy bills just so some chatbot can corrupt some 13-year-old kid online."
Green backing
Environmental groups back data center moratorium
Over 230 environmental groups, including the Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace, have signed an open letter to US Congress supporting a national moratorium on new data center construction. Eric Weltman from Food & Water Watch told Wired that the New York bill was "our idea," further highlighting the widespread concern over potential environmental impacts of these facilities.
Policy push
New York is 'completely unprepared' for data centers
Senator Krueger has called New York "completely unprepared" for the "massive data centers" that are "gunning for New York." She stressed the need to hit the pause button and give some breathing room to adopt strong policies on data centers. This comes after Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative called Energize NY Development last month, which aims at modernizing how large energy users like data centers connect to the grid and ensuring they "pay their fair share."