Artist's representation of the AI ??data center planned by Meta - the company's first in Canada, to be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta Meta/Disclosure New York became this Tuesday (14) the first American state to suspend the construction of new large data centers, amid concerns about the impact of these structures on energy consumption, water use and local communities. The measure comes as technology companies accelerate the construction of data centers to meet the demand generated by the advancement of artificial intelligence. These centers house thousands of computers used to store data and process information. ?? Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send it to g1 The suspension, valid for one year, prevents the approval of new environmental licenses for installations with a power of 50 megawatts or more. During this period, the New York government will analyze the environmental impacts and define new rules for the installation of these projects.
New York suspends construction of data centers due to concerns about energy and water consumption
Artist's representation of the AI ??data center planned by Meta - the company's first in Canada, to be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta Meta/Disclosure New York became this Tuesday (14) the first American state to...
The pause does not affect projects that have already completed all licensing stages. “As data center development threatens to increase energy bills, deplete our natural resources and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it is my responsibility to act and lead,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. New York currently has more than 130 data centers, according to Data Center Map. The number is smaller than states like Virginia, with more than 600 units, and Texas, with around 500. Technology companies such as Alphabet and Microsoft did not comment on the decision. Meta, Amazon and Oracle did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Data center operator Digital Realty stated that the measure could take investments to other states. “A one-year pause is not the right approach,” the company said. NTT Global Data Centers chief executive Doug Adams said the sector needs to better explain the impacts of these structures on communities, such as job creation, investment and use of natural resources. READ ALSO: Why American states may ban the construction of data centers Meta expands data center project for AI in the USA and increases investment to more than US$ 50 billion Pressure on energy and infrastructure The growth of data centers in the United States has generated concern because these facilities consume large volumes of electricity. In some regions, residents and authorities fear that the expansion will increase electricity bills and put pressure on the electricity grid. The New York Legislative Assembly has already approved a project to create stricter rules for data centers with power above 20 megawatts, which would reach even more businesses than the suspension announced this Tuesday. The proposal has not yet been sent for approval by the governor of New York. Just one in three Americans supports the current pace of data center construction, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Most say they would be against installing a unit in their own community. According to data from New York's power grid operator, there were more than 12 gigawatts in large grid connection orders in May, including data centers. One gigawatt of energy is enough to power around 750,000 homes.
