New York's state legislature has passed a one-year moratorium on new large data centers. The ban would be the first statewide restriction of its kind if Governor Kathy Hochul signs it into law.
The moratorium targets large-scale data center construction across New York State. If signed, the measure would pause new projects for one year while lawmakers assess the environmental and infrastructure impacts of data center expansion.
Data centers consume significant amounts of electricity and water, raising concerns about grid strain and resource depletion. New York City and surrounding areas have seen increased interest from tech companies seeking to establish data center operations, prompting state-level action.
The legislation represents a growing tension between supporting technological infrastructure and managing environmental sustainability. Other regions have implemented local restrictions, but New York would become the first state to enact a comprehensive statewide moratorium.
Governor Hochul has not yet indicated whether she will sign the bill. The one-year timeline would allow the state to develop comprehensive guidelines for data center development before restrictions expire.
India's software services exports have climbed to 5.2% of GDP, up from 3.3% before the pandemic, as artificial intelligence drives the sector toward higher-value work.
Fire crews responded Friday to a blaze at Vistra Corp.'s battery storage facility in Moss Landing, California. The facility had previously sustained damage.
Flock, a controversial automated license plate reader company, has launched a voluntary severance program as dozens of cities cancel contracts with the surveillance firm.
India's telecom regulator has ordered caller-ID applications to share spam report data with telecom operators. The requirement has drawn pushback from Truecaller, which argues the one-way data sharing hands valuable proprietary information to carriers.