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

New Yorker state legislators have done just that Introduce a bill It would impose a moratorium of at least three years on permits associated with the construction and operation of new data centers. Although the prospects of the draft law are uncertain, Wire reports New York is at least the sixth state to consider pausing construction of new data centers.

Technology companies also plan to Spending increasing amounts of money To build out 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 Senator Bernie Sanders, who did so He called for a national haltSo is conservative Florida Governor Ron DeSantis He said data centers will lead to “Higher energy bills so some chatbot can spoil a 13-year-old online.”

More than 230 environmental groups including Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, and Greenpeace She recently signed an open letter to Congress Call 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 PoliticoKroger 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 Gov. Kathy Hochul Announce a new initiative It’s called Energize NY Development, which her office said would modernize the way large energy users (i.e., data centers) connect to the grid while also requiring them to “pay their fair share.”