New York is set to become the first state to enact a ban the construction of large data centers.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is scheduled to sign an executive order prohibiting the creation of data centers with the capacity of at least 50 megawatts for up to a year. This moratorium is designed to give lawmakers time to draft regulatory energy and environmental oversight on new data centers.
Data center projects awaiting permit approval will be halted with this executive order, although construction on smaller data centers tied to schools and hospitals will be allowed to proceed.
While temporary bans on data center construction have been issued at city and county levels, no state has taken this type of action. Maine lawmakers passed a moratorium bill earlier this year that was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who said she would have signed the bill into law if it included her request for an exemption on a $550 million data center project currently underway in the Town of Jay.
“New York will lead the way in creating the strongest standards in the nation for data center development,” said Hochul, who is seeking re-election this year.
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