New York becomes first state to halt datacenter buildouts
ai and ml
50 MW-plus bit barn builds on hold while Empire State hashes out rules to protect the environment and ratepayers
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday paused incomplete state environmental permit applications for large datacenters while officials work out new rules, a process expected to take up to a year.
The order makes New York the first state to enact such a moratorium amid growing concerns over AI datacenters' impact on utility rates and public health.
“New York has always been at the forefront of innovation and change but we’ve also always guaranteed that New Yorkers benefit. As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Hochul said in a canned statement.
The order specifically targets large hyperscale datacenters capable of consuming at least 50 MW, subject...
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