New York lawmakers suggest a three-year pause on new information facilities

New Yorker state lawmakers have introduced a bill that might impose a moratorium of at the least three years on permits tied to the development and operation of latest information facilities. Whereas the invoice’s prospects are unsure, Wired reports that New York is at the least the sixth state to think about pausing development of latest information facilities. 

As tech firms plan to spend ever-increasing amounts of money to construct AI infrastructure, each Democrats and Republicans have expressed issues about the affect these information facilities may need on surrounding communities. Research have additionally linked information facilities to increased home electricity bills.

Critics embrace progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, who has called for a national moratorium, in addition to conservative Florida Governor Ron De Santis, who said data centers will lead to “larger power payments simply so some chatbot can corrupt some 13 yr previous child on-line.”

Greater than 230 environmental teams together with Meals & Water Watch, Mates of the Earth, and Greenpeace recently signed an open letter to Congress calling for a nationwide moratorium on the development of latest information facilities.

Eric Weltman of Meals & Water Watch instructed Wired that the New York invoice — sponsored by state senator Liz Krueger and assemblymember Anna Kelles, each Democrats — was “our thought.” Information heart pauses have additionally been proposed by Democrats in Georgia, Vermont, and Virginia, whereas Republicans sponsored comparable payments in Maryland and Oklahoma.

According to Politico, Krueger described her state as “fully unprepared” for the “large information facilities” that are “gunning for New York.”

“It’s time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some respiration room to undertake robust insurance policies on information facilities, and keep away from getting caught in a bubble that may burst and depart New York utility prospects footing an enormous invoice,” she mentioned.

Final month, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative known as Energize NY Improvement, which her workplace mentioned would each modernize the approach massive power customers (i.e., information facilities) would join to the grid whereas additionally requiring them to “pay their fair proportion.”