In the Finger Lakes Region, Governor Hochul Highlights First Statewide Moratorium on New Hyperscale Data Centers as Support Continues to Grow

New York's Governor Hochul has unveiled the first statewide moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, because nothing says 'we're ready for the AI future' like slamming the brakes on the very infrastructure it runs on. The announcement, made in the Finger Lakes region, comes with the creation of the Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity, and Trust — DIGIT, for those who love acronyms that sound like a medical condition. One can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from tech giants who were just about to break ground on yet another power-sucking temple to inference.

But wait, there's more: DIGIT is tasked with regulating 'large frontier AI developers,' which presumably means anyone who has ever said 'we're training a model that might one day think.' The office's name alone — a quadruple-threat of buzzwords — suggests it will be staffed by the same geniuses who brought us the state's congestion pricing rollout. Meanwhile, data center developers are left wondering if 'first statewide moratorium' is a badge of honour or a giant 'closed for business' sign.

Let's not pretend this is about saving the Finger Lakes' wine country from server heat. It's about the state wanting a piece of the AI pie without looking like it's bending over backwards for Big Tech. The moratorium buys time — time to figure out how to tax, regulate, and extract rent from the digital gold rush. And DIGIT? It will be the gatekeeper, ensuring that only the most obedient frontier AI developers get to plug into New York's grid. Progress, New York-style: build a wall first, then maybe let a few people in.