‘We should not have to sacrifice’: New York could become first state to temporarily ban large data centers

New York moved closer toward becoming the first U.S. state to enact a moratorium on large data centers this week. On Thursday, the state legislature approved a one-year ban on the facilities powering the AI boom.

The measure now heads to Kathy Hochul, the governor, who will decide whether to sign it into law. The Guardian spoke to a state senator in the wake of the historic vote about authoring the bill and the wider U.S. backlash against data centers.

Thursday’s vote comes as anger toward data centers, and AI, sweeps the nation. Almost three-quarters of Americans oppose a data center project being built near their homes, according to a new Heatmap poll. Many local communities across the country, including in New York, have already enacted a patchwork of moratoriums on data centers. But some residents are feeling overwhelmed by the pace and secrecy of development – and they’re calling on state governments for help.

Read more at The Guardian