Climate
Privacy
Bob Dylan
Drones
Data Centers
AI Governance
2026 Maine Senate Race
Key developments
New York orders one-year hyperscale moratorium
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a statewide one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, temporarily suspending state environmental permits for projects not already deemed complete. New York will use the pause to develop a Generic Environmental Impact Statement, advance Energize NY rules that could require data centers to pay higher energy costs or supply their own power, and issue a community investment framework within 60 days. The state also floated a Grid Acceleration Fund and repeal of sales-tax exemptions for massive data centers.
Why it matters
New York is positioning itself as a statewide template for tying data center approvals to ratepayer, grid, water and community protections.
Sources & driving stories
GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK
Governor of New York coverageWhitmer proposes safeguards instead of moratorium
Planet Detroit's Kyle Davidson reported that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer unveiled the Michigan Affordable and Responsible Growth Action Plan on July 15, pairing proposed legislation codifying Michigan Public Service Commission consumer protections with a voluntary company pledge. The pledge asks data center companies to cover their own costs, avoid raising residents' energy rates, protect natural resources, comply with environmental and water-use rules, add clean energy resources and create local jobs. Google signed the pledge for its 1-gigawatt Van Buren Township project and said a DTE Energy partnership would enable 2.7 gigawatts of new clean energy resources, while environmental groups said voluntary promises are not enough and continued backing a temporary moratorium.
Why it matters
Michigan is testing whether ratepayer and resource protections can defuse data center backlash without halting projects outright.
Sources & driving stories
PLANET DETROIT · Kyle Davidson
Planet Detroit coverageWHTC · Helen Coster and Valerie Volcovici
WHTC coverageBoulder City challenges federal data-center approval
The Nevada Independent reported that Boulder City officials are challenging the Bureau of Land Management's late-June approval of federal land for Skylar Capital Management's Townsite Solar 2 project. The proposal shifted from a 19-megawatt solar facility to millions of square feet of data center space, a 70-megawatt battery facility, 167 megawatts of peak demand and 167 megawatts of emergency generators. City officials say the updated project was approved without adequate local consultation and would cost Boulder City about $2.3 million annually in lease revenue and taxes; the appeal is expected to go to the Interior Board of Land Appeals.
Why it matters
The dispute tests how much control local governments retain over data center siting when projects move onto federally controlled land.
Sources & driving stories
THE NEVADA INDEPENDENT
The Nevada Independent coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
AWS water claims face lawsuit
The Register's Dan Robinson reports a former AWS water sustainability manager sued in Arlington County Circuit Court, alleging public water-use and sustainability claims for Northern Virginia data centers conflict with utility records obtained through FOIA requests.
WORTH NOTING
xAI neighbors allege harmful noise
CBS News reports Southaven, Mississippi residents filed a June lawsuit alleging near-constant noise and vibration from xAI-linked power infrastructure, while the NAACP separately challenged emissions from gas turbines and an air permit allowing 41 permanent methane turbines.
WORTH NOTING
Large campuses still advance
Project activity continues despite rising opposition: Sabey's 714,540-square-foot, 150-plus-megawatt Umatilla campus is under construction; Crusoe and Lancium announced a 1-gigawatt Childress, Texas campus; and DatacenterDynamics' Dan Swinhoe reported Coravel launched with a 1.7-gigawatt portfolio and a 140-megawatt Dallas-Fort Worth hyperscaler customer.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will pledges become enforceable cost-shift protections?
Michigan is combining voluntary commitments with proposed legislation, while New York is pausing permits to write binding rules, leaving open which approach will actually prevent utility costs from shifting to residents.
OPEN QUESTION
Who controls federally sited data centers?
Boulder City's appeal could clarify whether local governments can meaningfully shape data center projects on BLM land inside municipal boundaries as federal policy pushes faster approvals.