New York and Ontario Blockades Target AI Data Center Power Grids
July 14, 2026
Governor Kathy Hochul’s statewide moratorium and grassroots resistance in Ontario mark a material rupture where local energy grids and public interests are being defended against the resource extraction of hyperscale AI. This physical infrastructure standoff is intensifying as Apple’s trade secret litigation against OpenAI and expert warnings of economic displacement expose the deepening friction between corporate AI acceleration and the stability of public systems.
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New York Governor Signs First Statewide Data Center Moratorium
“We have no choice but to address the challenges created by these massive facilities,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said. The executive order will pause construction for one year.
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AI Data Centers and the Concentration of Wealth
This essay was written with Nathan E. Sanders, and originally appeared in The Guardian. Opposition to AI data centers has emerged as a primary theme in US politics, one that—surprisingly—doesn’t fall along party lines. We applaud people coming together for constructive debate on any issue, and agree…
- Cybersecurity
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The fight against AI datacenters is important – but it’s just a starting point
- media and technology
- AI governance
- structural power
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New York becomes the first state to enact a data center moratorium
New hyperscale data centers can't set up shop in New York for up to a year now that Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has signed the nation's first statewide moratorium. But a bill passed by the state legislature that could restrict even more developments still awaits her signature. The order blocks new env…
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Ontario politicians and residents take issue with AI's gas usage
An anti-data centre movement has coalesced, citing concerns about increasing fossil fuel emissions, negative environmental impacts and the devaluation of public interests in favour of tech corporations.
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The fight against AI data centers is just beginning
A yard sign opposing a planned data center is displayed along Route 54 in Mount Carmel Township Northumberland County. | Image: Getty Images This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the data center buildout, follow Emma Roth. The St…
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How is the US tech industry regulated?
Apple files a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing it of stealing trade secrets.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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Hundreds of experts warn the world must prepare now for AI’s impact
More than 200 economists and AI researchers call on leaders to immediately prepare for sweeping economic disruption.
- geopolitics
- structural power
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An AI lab says chatbots have what may be a key feature of consciousness. Are they right? And what now?
Anthropic When you interact with a large language model (LLM) – one of the systems behind chatbots such as ChatGPT and Claude – it can feel as though you are in contact with another conscious mind. But are you, really? Some prominent scientists, such as Geoff Hinton and Richard Dawkins, claim you ar…
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The 6 wildest claims in Apple’s lawsuit against OpenAI
When Apple employees interviewed for jobs at OpenAI, the AI startup's hardware head allegedly asked them to show up with something unusual: components they were working on and unreleased product samples. That's according to a blockbuster lawsuit filed by Apple, which accuses OpenAI of stealing confi…