New York lawmakers approve one-year ban on new data centers

New York State Legislature Pass A one-year moratorium on new large data centers, the first statewide ban of its kind if Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul signs it into law.

Lawmakers behind the bill say it aims to give policymakers time to understand the impact of large data centers on the environment and energy prices. It directs the state environmental agency to create an impact report to assess the amount of electricity, water and land used by data centers, and the pollution they cause. It also requires companies planning to build large data centers — defined as having a peak demand of at least 20 megawatts — to hold and fund a public hearing at least three months before the project gets approved. Hochul has not said whether she will sign the bill, and she has until December to decide whether to sign or veto it, according to the British Daily Mail. Bloomberg government.

Surveys show that most Americans They oppose the idea of ​​data centers in their communitiesand heated public meetings across the country showed that it is a Galvanization issue Across the political spectrum. Earlier this year, the Maine legislature passed a bill that would have banned new data centers until late 2027, but Democratic Gov. Janet Mills He objected to it Because he failed to include an exemption for a previously planned project, according to New York Times. The New York Independent System Operator, a nonpartisan entity charged with maintaining the reliability of the electric grid, said it is currently reviewing 24 data center proposals totaling more than 9,000 megawatts, according to News 10 ABC, And suggested 180 MW project in Albany Raised residents’ concerns.

New York’s bill is a shorter moratorium than the three-year proposal introduced previously, according to POLITICO. But even a one-year pause has met opposition from industry groups. said Stacey Sykes, acting president and CEO of the Long Island Association business group. POLITICO The moratorium “will overall hurt the state’s economy, because having a blanket moratorium rather than looking at it on a case-by-case basis will not allow the state to move forward with a data center project that would actually be beneficial to our economy.”

Hochul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the bill passed, but spokeswoman Cathy DeVoe said POLITICO In a previous statement, “The governor will review the draft law.”