The Empire State became the first state on Tuesday to halt construction of large new data centers, reports Associated Press. Instead, they are imposing a one-year moratorium as concerns grow that the facilities, driving the artificial-intelligence boom, are raising power costs, straining water supplies and burdening local communities.
"As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it's my responsibility to take action and lead," said Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-New York).
The move comes a month after dozens of mayors worldwide signed onto a pact to try to shape how urban data centers are built and operated. Like Hochul, the mayors are concerned about the resources that data centers may need to operate.
Patrick Hedger, director of policy at NetChoice, is someone on the other side of the argument. Talking about data centers on American Family Radio (AFR)'s "Jenna Ellis in the Morning" program, he said that public resistance to data centers is largely fueled by misinformation.
"In large part, it's being created by our foreign adversaries to do precisely what I'm talking about, which is hold America back," says Hedger. "Water usage, the major data centers — the biggest ones — use about the same amount of water as one to two golf courses, depending on where that golf course is located. And there are more golf courses in the United States than there are data centers."
One the other side, a Georgia family is being forced out of their home by Georgia Power to help power AI data centers, reports CBS Mornings.
The Brown family has owned the same home and the same plot of land in the state of Georgia for over two decades. In the CBS interview, Ansley Brown says that the plan was to keep the home in the family, as generational wealth.
But now, they say that Georgia Power, the largest utility in the state, has given them an ultimatum: either sell your home, or we will come get it.
Georgia Power claims that the increasing demand requires a new transmission line. This includes acquiring more than 300 parcels of land. The company estimates that 70-80% of the power provided by this new line will go to powering AI data centers.
Brown said it's a slap in the face to her and all other Georgia families that are being kicked off their property.
“You can’t tear down 35 miles of rural Georgia, and it not hurt something or somebody. And to say that you're doing it in the name of data centers is a slap in the face to us, our community, our animals,” Brown says.
The family recently did come to an agreement to sell. If they didn't, the company could have attempted to seize her property using eminent domain. This process allows private property to be taken with compensation if the project is determined to serve a public purpose.
Georgia Power spokesperson Holly Lovette said that eminent domain is something that the company "never wants to do." However, Brown doesn't see it that way.
“To us, it's theft. It's literally a billion dollar company stealing land form smaller people,” Brown says.
