---
title: "New York's Data Center Moratorium Risks Slowing America's AI Future, Says ITIF"
summary: |-
  In response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul signing an executive order to create the nation’s first moratorium on new data centers, ITIF released the following statement from President Daniel Castro.
date: "2026-07-15"
content_type: "Press Releases"
canonical_url: "https://itif.org/publications/2026/07/15/new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-risks-slowing-americas-ai-future-says-itif/"
---

# New York's Data Center Moratorium Risks Slowing America's AI Future, Says ITIF

WASHINGTON—In response to New York Governor Kathy Hochul signing an executive order to create the nation’s first moratorium on new data centers, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from President Daniel Castro:

> *New York's decision to pause new data center development is the wrong approach to addressing environmental and infrastructure concerns. Communities deserve thoughtful consideration of issues such as energy demand, water use, and noise, and policymakers should establish clear, predictable standards to address them.*

> *But pausing data center development is not the answer. AI is moving quickly, and the infrastructure that powers it will be built somewhere. If the United States fails to build the data centers needed to support the AI economy, it will fall behind in developing and adopting one of the most important technologies of the 21st century.*

> *Government should move faster to establish sensible rules—not force industry to move slower by freezing investment. The goal should be to enable responsible development, not delay it. Americans should want the AI economy to run on data centers built in the United States, creating American jobs and strengthening U.S. competitiveness, rather than pushing that investment overseas.*

**Contact:** Nicole Hinojosa, [nhinojosa@itif.org](mailto:nhinojosa@itif.org)

---
*Source: Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF)*
*URL: https://itif.org/publications/2026/07/15/new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-risks-slowing-americas-ai-future-says-itif/*