Advocate says proposed N.Y. moratorium on data center construction is important
New York lawmakers are considering a bill to implement a moratorium on data center construction, initially proposed for three years and now being reworked to one year. This comes amid concerns over the substantial electricity demand from large-load projects in the state. An advocate from Food & Water supports the moratorium, while the Data Center Coalition warns it could signal unwelcomeness to developers.
New York lawmakers are currently considering a bill that would implement a moratorium on data center construction across the state. The legislation, initially introduced as a three-year ban by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles (S9144A/A10141A), is now being reworked to propose a single-year moratorium.
This legislative effort is spurred by concerns over significant electricity demand. According to the New York Independent System Operator (NYSIO), large-load projects, including data centers and advanced manufacturing like Micron, represent over 12,000 megawatts in the interconnection queue. This amount of electricity could power approximately 12 million homes.
The proposed moratorium has drawn differing opinions. Alex Beauchamp, Northeast region director of Food & Water, emphasized the importance of such a moratorium during an interview with Capital Tonight. Conversely, Khara Boender, director of state policy at the Data Center Coalition, previously stated in May that a three-year moratorium could deter data center developers from investing in New York.