finance
Fourteen U.S. States Consider Halting New Data Centers While 38 Offer Tax Incentives
New York may become the first state to enact a temporary ban. Monterey Park, California, already voted to prohibit data centers permanently.
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U.S. states are considering legislation that would temporarily halt construction of new data centers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The states are Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
New York is potentially becoming the first state to enact a temporary ban on data centers. U.S. city to permanently ban data centers through a public vote.
U.S. states are pressuring legislators to address rising utility bills linked to data center expansion. U.S. power by 2030 and beyond.
Globally, data centers consumed 448 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2025, with artificial intelligence accounting for one-fifth of that total. 5 trillion litres of water and generated 189 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 8 GW.
U.S. 4 GW in 2030. A UN report published in June states that globally data centers are expected to consume twice as much power and water by 2030.
More than 4,300 data centers have been constructed in the United States to date, according to the Data Centre Map database. A Gallup poll found that 70 percent of Americans oppose construction of data centers in their communities, with over half strongly opposing development.
U.S. States offer tax incentives to attract data center development.
