New York could be the first state in the nation to pass a moratorium on building new datacenters over fears of energy shortages and environmental damage. Efforts to slow the speed of high-tech development continued with a rally Wednesday in Albany.
“Let’s press the pause button,” said Food and Water Watch Senior Organizer Eric Weltman, who adds there are too many questions to start granting requests for the growing number of proposed data centers in New York.
His group and several dozen others are pushing a bill, S.9144/A.10141, in the New York State legislature to enact a three-year moratorium on any new data centers.
Weltman said New York needs to get its head around what he calls the biggest environmental threats of our generation. “This expansion, it's rapidly increasing demand for energy. It's driving more fossil fuel pollution. It's straining water resources. It's devouring up land. And again, it's raising utility bills.”
Weltman added developers will routinely seek public subsidies and tax breaks, when he contends they don’t create local jobs or otherwise stimulate the economy.
New York Renews organizer Ryan Madden said he’s concerned the huge power needs of data centers for A- and cryptocurrency strain the grid and drive up energy costs for all consumers.The moratorium bill would allow the state to more completely examine the impacts and design guardrails. “So it's spelled out in the bill looking at water impacts, looking at utility rates, looking at impacts to disadvantaged communities under our climate law. So it's, yeah, it's a defined set of time for a defined set of purposes with a defined set of issues.”
Advocates say the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Public Service Commission would have time to develop policies.
Madden, Weltman, other groups and several state lawmakers are increasing pressure for the moratorium, since the ongoing impasse over a state budget – now six weeks late – has severely shortened the legislative session.
