Democrats in New York propose moratorium on new data centers

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

02/06/26 5:10 PM ET


ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — New York Democratic state lawmakers unveiled a bill on Friday that would prevent construction of new data centers for three years.

It would pause the industry’s meteoric growth so officials can study the impact of artificial intelligence on electric bills and the environment.

Democratic State Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles announced the legislation, S9144, during an online press conference.

They joined advocacy groups, including Food and Water Watch and the NYC Democratic Socialists of America, to introduce what they called the strongest data center moratorium bill in the country.

Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5727004-democrats-in-new-york-propose-moratorium-on-new-data-centers/

[QueerDuck]

1. I think It makes more sense to require data centers to fund infrastructure improvements upfront.

Rather than placing the burden on utility companies, who then pass the costs to consumers, data centers should be required to pay for infrastructure upgrades themselves.

Also, obviously, data centers consume massive amounts of energy... and when local utilities must upgrade their systems to handle this increased demand, those costs often get passed down to residents.

According to studies, areas with large data centers frequently experience higher energy rates due to the necessary infrastructure investments... and to be fair, these should NOT come at the expense of everyday consumers.

It seems that those in charge may find it easier to consider a ban on data centers rather than working out a solution that is fair for everyone. But, as I've mentioned, it's not fair for residential electrical prices to increase just to subsidize data centers’ access to energy at reduced rates.

Homeowners, renters and other businesses deserves fair and stable energy costs without having to cover the expenses associated with a large data centers' consumption.