Source: Politico
Summary
New York has become the first state to temporarily halt approval of large data centers. Governor Kathy Hochul argues that the AI-driven building boom should not come at the expense of higher electricity costs, water supplies, or local control. The move aims to address concerns about the environmental and economic impact of data centers. Hochul’s administration will review the approval process and consider new regulations. The decision affects large data centers, which are typically those over 100,000 square feet.
Our Reading
The announcement sounds ambitious.
New York puts the brakes on data center approvals, citing concerns over electricity costs, water supplies, and local control. Because what’s a little AI-driven progress without some environmental and economic drawbacks? Governor Hochul’s administration will review the approval process, because apparently, it’s a good idea to think things through before building massive data centers. The decision affects large data centers, because who needs that much server space anyway? The state’s move is a rare instance of a government actually considering the consequences of tech companies’ actions. How quaint.
Author: Evan Null
