Behind the New York data center pause is legislation that could impact existing facilities

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Dive Brief:

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, on July 14 signed the first state moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, those that could consume 50 megawatts or more of electricity, by pausing state environmental permits for these facilities for up to one year while policymakers build out a regulatory framework.

Hochul issued the executive order to give the government time to parse through a broader bill that the state legislature passed, but the governor hasn’t yet signed, that would include requirements impacting existing data centers.

Hochul’s executive order addresses many of the same policy concerns as New York’s proposed Responsible Data Center Development Act, A11560, which passed on June 4, but is narrower, according to DLA Piper.