Kathy Hochul signed the executive order on Tuesday. Donald Trump was demanding she undo it by Wednesday.
The order pauses construction of new data centres drawing 50 megawatts or more for up to a year, making New York the first US state to pull the brake on the buildings powering the AI boom.
State officials are to produce a Generic Environmental Impact Statement in the meantime, and the freeze lifts once those standards are set.
Trump took to Truth Social to call it a “terrible decision” that would hand investment, tax revenue, and jobs to states that want them. “One of the biggest Driving Forces in the Future for Jobs, are Data Centers,” he wrote, describing them as “Money Machines” for the states that host them.
Projects would now go to Texas, Florida, Alabama, and Arizona, he argued, where “Both the Taxes and the Jobs amount to LIQUID GOLD!” He told New York to reverse course “IMMEDIATELY”, warning the US should not risk losing AI leadership “to China, and other countries”.The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
