Town Passes Data Center Moratorium
The Town of Brookhaven and Islip Town Board in Suffolk County, New York, have both enacted data center moratoriums. Brookhaven's is for 18 months, while Islip's is until February 2028, with both aiming to define data centers within their Town Code. These local actions contrast with New York State's hyperscale-only moratorium.
The discussion around data centers and artificial intelligence development has reached Suffolk County, New York, leading two towns to enact moratoriums on new facilities. The Town of Brookhaven unanimously approved an 18-month moratorium on all data center development following a contentious meeting last month. This pause allows the Town Board to study and classify data centers within its Town Code, with a complete ban remaining a possibility.
Similarly, the Islip Town Board unanimously approved its own data center moratorium earlier this month, effective until February 28, 2028. Unlike New York State's one-year moratorium, which only applies to hyperscale data centers exceeding 50 megawatts (MW) by executive order from Governor Kathy Hochul, both Brookhaven and Islip's measures apply to facilities of all sizes. Islip aims to address the lack of a clear definition for "data center" in its Town Code, now including facilities for AI processing.
According to a Town spokesperson, Islip currently hosts no data centers and has none in active development. Islip Town Councilman John Lorenzo highlighted the need to "pump the brakes" to adapt to evolving technology, expressing doubt that large-scale data centers are suitable for Long Island. He also emphasized the importance of defining code carefully to avoid negatively impacting small businesses.
Suffolk County Legislator and Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo voiced support for the moratoriums, commending Councilwoman DawnMarie Kuhn's proactive involvement in the matter.