--- title: "New York Becomes First State to Ban AI Data Centers" description: "Across the United States, lawmakers are increasingly caught between two competing pressures: the massive investment flowing into the tech industry to build AI data centers, and a [growing, bipartisan backlash]() against those same facilities, not to mention the massive tech…" date: "2026-07-14" modified: "2026-07-14" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/new-york-hochul-executive-order-ban-ai-data-centers" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" --- # New York Becomes First State to Ban AI Data Centers ![A colorful photo illustration featuring a photograph of New York State Governor Kathy Hochul.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: lev radin / Shutterstock* Across the United States, lawmakers are increasingly caught between two competing pressures: the massive investment flowing into the tech industry to build AI data centers, and a [growing, bipartisan backlash]() against those same facilities, not to mention the massive tech corporations funding them. In New York, governor Kathy Hochul is giving in to the former — at least on paper — by announcing a one-year, state-wide ban on new AI data center construction for facilities with an electrical capacity of 50 megawatts and up. It's the first time a US state has imposed such a moratorium, highlighting persistent concerns over the [rampant pollution](), [alarming water usage rates](), and [rising electricity prices](). Per [the *City Reporter*](), the governor has ordered state utility regulators to draft "the strongest standards in the nation for data center development," in order to guarantee that "when companies succeed because of New York, New Yorkers succeed too." While the moratorium prevents new mega-facilities from popping up, the New York Department of Public Service will start plugging away on an environmental impact statement to use for assessing future data centers' affects on water and air quality, in addition to their consumption of [electricity]() and [water](). The timing of the temporary ban could not be more opportune for Democrats. With the 2026 midterm elections fast approaching, Democratic party leaders have been scrambling to regain the confidence of the [party's voting base](), which has overwhelmingly embraced progressive, non-establishment Democratic candidates in recent elections. As [*Futurism* noted]() back in April, opposition to AI would be a slam dunk with progressive voters and even moderate Republicans — though the party has been slow to capitalize on this opportunity, likely a result of the deep pocketed [AI lobby](), which has lavished the Democratic party with [millions of dollars]() so-far in 2026. Notably, Hochul's ban comes in place of a bill passed by the [New York State Senate]() on June 4 which would ban data centers of 20 megawatts or more for up to a year. In addition to raising the maximum allowable size by 30 megawatts, Hochul's executive order lacks other provisions included in the Senate bill, like a mandate that data center owners fund local infrastructure programs and submit to third-party audits. While the governor's total ban is progressive relative to states like [Ohio](), the gap between the New York Senate bill and Hochul's executive order clearly reflects the ongoing schism within the Democratic party. In effect, it signals that Hochul is less gung-ho about regulating the tech industry than her counterparts in the state legislature, putting her in a league more in-line with pro-tech industry Democrats like Michigan's [Gretchen Whitmer]() and California's [Gavin Newsom](), and less with party progressives like Vermont's [Bernie Sanders](). **More on AI data centers:** *[The Economics of Data Centers Creating Jobs Are So Bad That They Sound Like a Joke]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()