New York lawmakers introduce bill that aims to halt data center development for three years

New York State Senators Liz Krueger and Kristen Gonzales introduced a bill on Friday that would halt permitting for new data centers for at least three years and ninety days, to allow time for impact assessments and updated regulations. The bill would require the Department of Environmental Conservation and public service commissions to issue impact statements and reports during the pause, as well as any new orders or regulations they deem necessary to minimize the impacts of data centers on New York’s environment and consumers.

The bill would require these departments to study, among other things, data center water, electricity and gas consumption, as well as their impact on rates for these resources. The bill, citing a Bloomberg The analysis notes that “nationally, household electricity rates will increase by 13% in 2025, largely due to the development of data centers. » New York is the sixth state this year to introduce a bill aimed at curbing data centers, after Georgia, Maryland, Oklahoma, Vermont and Virginia, according to Wired. It is still in its early stages and is now before the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee for consideration.