New York State Imposes Statewide Data Center Moratorium
New York state has become the first state to impose a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data centers. Governor Kathy Hochul's executive order temporarily pauses state permitting while agencies develop new standards to address their impact.
New York state has implemented a statewide moratorium on new large-scale data center projects, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. Governor Kathy Hochul issued an executive order that temporarily halts state permitting processes for major data center developments.
The pause is intended to allow state agencies to develop new standards for assessing and mitigating the environmental and other impacts of these facilities. As of May, New York had identified at least 51 large load projects, including proposed data centers, though many are still in early planning stages and not all are expected to proceed to construction.