Overview
- New York's legislature approved a one‑year moratorium on new large data‑center permits that now sits on Gov. Kathy Hochul's desk and would require environmental reviews, community hearings and new rate classes for big projects.
- The Department of Justice has stepped into litigation over Elon Musk’s Memphis data centers, arguing that blocking the sites could threaten military operations and underscoring national security stakes in the buildout.
- States and developers are moving to secure power off the public grid by fast‑tracking dedicated plants and approvals, with Ohio passing rules that can clear certain projects in as little as 45 days and firms building on‑site gas plants or backing private nuclear options.
- An advocacy group has asked congressional intelligence committees to probe whether foreign state media and actors have sought to influence anti–data‑center campaigns, reflecting worries that opposition to projects may have geopolitical drivers.
- The debate centers on who pays for increased electricity and water demand and how fast buildouts should proceed, with experts divided on projected impacts and companies promoting private solutions such as closed‑loop cooling, direct power deals and small modular reactors.