New York lawmakers have passed a bill imposing a one-year moratorium on permits for new large-scale data centers, which will be the first such freeze in the nation if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. The ban is a response to rising electricity costs attributed to the energy-intensive demands of data centers supporting the artificial intelligence sector.

Maine's legislature has advanced bill LD 307, which imposes a moratorium on permits for new data centers requiring more than 20 megawatts of electricity. This decision is driven by concerns that the growing demand for AI technology is exacerbating high electricity costs in the state.