Marketplace Tech · Friday, July 17, 2026
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order instituting a one-year moratorium on the construction of hyper-scale data centers (50 megawatts or larger). The order aims to address concerns about the strain on local water supplies, land use, utility bills, and noise pollution associated with these facilities.
“All right. Well, now we want to talk about the very first statewide moratorium on data centers. This week, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order barring hyper-scale data center constructions.”
“These data centers require millions of gallons of water, straining the local supplies. They occupy massive amounts of land, potentially displacing agricultural space and open spaces. The bottom line is progress shouldn't arrive with a higher utility bill, deleted water supply, or noise pollution.”