New York Becomes First US State to Pause Large Data Center Construction With One-Year Moratorium

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on July 14, 2026, pausing new construction of large-scale data centers for one year, making New York the first US state to enact a statewide moratorium as opposition to the AI-driven build-out grows nationwide. The order suspends state environmental reviews for facilities with peak demand above 50 megawatts and directs regulators to study the sector's energy and environmental toll before new projects proceed.