New York’s Data Center Ban Won’t Solve Its Grid Problems

New York isn’t particularly inundated with new data centers, but it just became the first U.S. state to ban them. The ban arose from concerns about data centers’ power and water use and effects on residential electricity bills. Electricity margins in the state’s grid are running thin and power bills are rising, but data centers aren’t to blame—for now. Why New York’s Power Grid Is VulnerableNew York’s move is an indicator that the U.S.’s burgeoning anti–data center movement has gained traction. Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy HochulNew York’s Data Center Ban Buys TimeSo New York’s ban on data centers is addressing only part of the problem, and a largely future one at that.