In a letter sent to Congress today, more than 50 organizations from across New York State called for a full national moratorium on the approval and construction of new data centers. The letter cites massive and unsustainable consumption by data centers of energy and water resources, and skyrocking utility costs for families and small businesses. The letter was facilitated by the national environmental organization Food & Water Watch, and signed by national and statewide groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Americans for Financial Reform, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Citizen Action of NY, NY Communities for Change, and For the Many.

The letter states, in part:

“The rapid expansion of data centers across the United States, driven by the generative artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto booms, presents one of the biggest environmental and social threats of our generation. This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices across the country… We urge you to join our call for a national moratorium on new data centers until adequate regulations can be enacted to fully protect our communities, our families, our environment and our health from the runaway damage this industry is already inflicting.”

“At a time when New Yorkers are struggling with soaring utility bills, data centers threaten to inflict even more costs on our communities,” said Eric Weltman, senior New York organizer at Food & Water Watch. “It’s prudent that we press the pause button on Big Data’s voracious and expanding appetite for energy and water before it’s too late to prevent massive harm.”

Already, energy demand from data centers in the U.S. is expected to increase up to threefold between 2023 and 2028. And recent analysis from Food & Water Watch found that by 2028, AI-supporting data centers could consume:

• 720 billion gallons of water annually simply to cool the facilities — equal to more than 1 million Olympic-size swimming pools, or enough water to meet the indoor needs of 18.5 million American households.
• 300 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy annually — enough electricity to power over 28 million American households.

“Communities across the country are being inundated with this unchecked expansion of data centers, leaving residents to bear the burden of skyrocketing utility rates, worsening water and air pollution, and serious public health concerns.” said Yvonne Taylor, Vice President of Seneca Lake Guardian. “When an AI data center comes to town, our communities are promised an economic boost. Instead they are steamrolled, with developers depleting natural resources and refusing to take accountability for the harm they inflict. For too long, our representatives have sat back and watched as we are taken advantage of. We need leaders who will step in to protect residents against this exploitation, and put public health and safety above corporate profit.”

“Data Centers have quickly emerged as a false solution, as these new massive industrial projects create very few permanent jobs, introduce new environmental justice concerns for nearby residents, jack up energy and water costs for communities, and create headaches for local governments,” said Bridge Rauch, Environmental Justice Organizer with Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. “We need a federal moratorium on new data centers to give state and local governments a chance to work with their constituents to develop regulations that work for their communities.”

Meanwhile, this summer the Trump administration released an “AI Action Plan,” which outlines its priorities related to the advancement of so-called “artificial intelligence” and the industries supporting it – including massive energy- and water-intensive data centers. Among other things, Trump’s plan seeks to dismantle existing environmental and land use rules that it views as a hindrance to the unfettered growth of these industries.

In October, Food & Water Watch initially called for a full moratorium on data center approval and construction, likely becoming the first national organization to do so.