New York’s Data Center Moratorium: What the Nation’s First Statewide AI Infrastructure Ban Means for the Industry
Reading Time: 5 minutesNew York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the United States’ first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers exceeding 50 megawatts, freezing environmental permits for up to a year to allow the state to develop comprehensive regulations. A separate legislative bill with a stricter 20-megawatt threshold still awaits the governor’s signature, creating significant uncertainty for AI infrastructure developers eyeing the state.