New York just became the first state in the country to hit pause on large data center development. Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on July 14, 2026, initiating a one-year moratorium on new approvals for facilities with a peak demand of 20 megawatts or more.
What the moratorium actually does
The executive order stems from the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S10642/A11560), which the New York State Legislature passed on June 4, 2026. The Senate approved it 44-16, and the Assembly followed with a 102-39 vote.
The law doesn’t shut down anything already under construction. Projects that broke ground before the moratorium took effect are exempt.
What it does is freeze new applications and permits for large data centers, defined as those drawing 20 MW or more of peak demand. Some frameworks within the legislation reference a 50 MW threshold in certain contexts, but the broader net captures facilities at the 20 MW level.
