Kathy Hochul bans data centers for a year; accountability incoming

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I’m not anti-AI. I’m not anti-growth. And I certainly don’t want America to lose the global race for artificial intelligence.

But I am pro-accountability.

This conversation has become oddly binary: either you support building AI infrastructure everywhere, as fast as possible, or you’re somehow standing in the way of innovation. That’s a false choice.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Tuesday placing a one-year pause on the construction of the largest data centers, putting the state at the forefront of the national debate over tech companies’ impact on American landscapes and energy grids.

Her decision to pause for one year isn’t an attack on technology. It’s a recognition that we should understand the consequences before they’re too big to manage.

These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity, some requiring enough power to supply roughly a million homes. Utilities are already planning new power plants and transmission infrastructure to meet demand. Even if tech companies promise to cover some of those costs, Americans have every right to ask who ultimately pays when the grid needs expanding, and what happens if those promises change.

And while the industry argues that water usage isn’t a widespread problem, why are we waiting until it becomes one before creating guardrails? Good regulation doesn’t exist because there’s already a crisis. It exists to prevent one.

Across the country, communities are already raising concerns.

Check out this article from Fortune: “Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium.” Meaning wastewater from a Meta data center contaminated the local sewer system.

Or how about this one, from Wisconsin Public Radio: “Groups sue Wisconsin DNR over environmental review of Port Washington data centers.” Residents are complaining about relentless dust, noise and environmental impacts tied to construction.

And then there’s this headline from ABC7 in Texas: “Planned Texas data centers could emit more greenhouse gases than many countries.” There are a lot of real concerns here. In Georgia, homeowners living near data centers say they worry about their wells and water supply, even as companies point to “independent studies” finding no connection.

If companies are relying on independent studies they paid for to assure the public everything is fine, who is independently overseeing the entire industry? Who is verifying the long-term impacts? Who is protecting communities before problems become irreversible?

This isn’t fearmongering. This is basic governance.

Even more telling, according to a recent Gallup poll, seven in ten Americans oppose building AI data centers in their own communities. Republicans and Democrats rarely agree on much these days, but many share concerns about rising utility costs, environmental impacts and transparency.

The AI race with China is real. America should absolutely lead. But winning that race cannot come at the expense of the very people it’s supposed to benefit.

Lindsey Granger is a NewsNation contributor and co-host of The Hill’s commentary show “Rising.” This column is an edited transcription of her on-air commentary.

Tags

AI

Artificial intelligence

data centers

Electricity

Environment

Executive Order

expense

Kathy Hochul

New York

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