The New York State legislature has approved a twelve-month moratorium on the construction of new data centers. The measure responds to the high water and electricity consumption of these facilities, combined with the constant noise they generate and the minimal direct job creation. A forced pause to assess their real impact.
Critical infrastructure under regulatory scrutiny ⚖️
A modern data center can consume as much electricity as a small town and requires millions of liters of water per day for cooling. In New York, where the power grid is already operating at its limit, these technological monsters compete with hospitals and homes. The moratorium does not stop existing centers, but it forces a rethink of efficiency standards and location before expanding the cloud.
Fewer jobs than a 90s cybercafe 🥨
The curious thing is that these silicon temples barely generate jobs. A data center the size of a football field needs four technicians and an intern to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, a corner kebab shop employs more people. Perhaps New York politicians calculated that it is better to have hot dog stands than humming servers.