Environmental advocacy organizations are urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers to impose a three-year statewide moratorium on large-scale data centers used to power artificial intelligence systems, citing concerns over energy use, pollution, and rising electricity costs.
In a letter sent to Hochul, a coalition led by California-based Food & Water Watch described the “explosive growth” of AI-driven data centers as “one of the biggest affordability and environmental threats of our generation.” The groups called on state leaders to temporarily halt new high-capacity facilities while regulators assess their long-term impact.
“This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices,” the coalition wrote. “All this compounds the significant and concerning impacts data centers are having on society, including lost jobs, social instability, and concentration of wealth.”
The proposal, currently pending in the state Legislature, would suspend approval of new data centers exceeding 20 megawatts for three years. During that period, the state Department of Environmental Conservation would conduct an environmental review and develop regulations aimed at preventing higher costs for consumers.
New York is home to more than 130 data centers, and several large projects are proposed or already under construction. Supporters of the moratorium argue that the state lacks adequate safeguards to manage the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure.
“Massive data centers are gunning for New York, and right now we are completely unprepared,” said state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat sponsoring the bill. “It’s time to hit the pause button.”
New York is not alone in grappling with AI-related energy demands. Lawmakers in Georgia, Maryland, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Virginia have introduced similar moratorium proposals.
At the federal level, Sen. Bernie Sanders has called for a nationwide pause on data center permitting. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has taken steps to limit state-level AI regulation, signing an executive order restricting states’ authority in the field after Congress failed to pass comparable legislation.
The debate underscores mounting tensions between environmental concerns, economic development, and national AI competitiveness.
