New York state lawmakers have newly advanced such a measure. The bill requires a three-year moratorium on new permits to construct and operate data centers to give time for the development of appropriate siting standards. Their introduction comes with a Democratic commitment to progressive issues State senator Liz Krueger and assemblymember Anna Kelles. It responds to growing concern about the environmental and energy use effects of these high tech facilities.
This legislative action is a continuation of the positive trend happening all over the country. New York has thus far collaborated with at least five other states in calling for or imposing a pause on data center construction. Other states looking into similar actions have been Georgia, Vermont, Virginia, Maryland and Oklahoma. Perhaps most encouragingly, Democratic lawmakers are the ones leading the way in all of these instances. On the other side of the aisle, Maryland and Oklahoma Republicans have introduced similar bills.
Eric Weltman of Food & Water Watch has described the New York bill as “our idea.” He praised the collaboration among the environmental community in addressing this pivotal issue. Over 230 environmental organizations, including Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace, have called for a national moratorium on data center construction. Importantly, Senator Bernie Sanders has recently been calling for this, too.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has voiced his concerns about the potential repercussions of data centers on utility costs, stating that they could lead to “higher energy bills just so some chatbot can corrupt some 13-year-old kid online.” This conviction is echoed by other federal officials. They argue that the unbridled proliferation of data centers might, at worst, result in increased energy costs for ratepayers.
Meanwhile, in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul recently kicked off a similar initiative called Energize NY Development. This program aims to modernize how large energy users, including data centers, connect to the power grid while ensuring they “pay their fair share” of costs associated with their energy consumption. In explaining their call for a strategic pause, Hochul’s office underscored the importance of a smart strategy, writing,
“It’s time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some breathing room to adopt strong policies on data centers, and avoid getting caught in a bubble that will burst and leave New York utility customers footing a huge bill.” – New York Governor Kathy Hochul
Even with these discussions the fate of the moratorium bill is uncertain. As Wired wrote recently, this proposal is just one of many gaining traction around the United States. These initiatives are a testament to the growing recognition of the problems created by large, cloud-based, data centers. Hochul and her advocates point to an undeniably dangerous crisis. New York now risks going down the path of expansion with federal assistance without creating new regulatory frameworks.
As lawmakers deliberate on this crucial issue, the future of data center construction in New York hangs in the balance, mirroring debates occurring in states across the nation.
