Over the last year or so, several US states have taken measures to regulate or prevent data centers from being built, citing local concerns over electricity and water use, pollution (noise and otherwise), and the fact that they're a godawful eyesore. On Tuesday, New York became the first state to enact a one-year ban on data centers. Pennsylvania, meanwhile, is slapping heavy new regulations on them.
DCI Data Centers facility in Adelaide (ADL02)The revolt has gone worldwide - as Australia will impose mandatory national rules on large-scale artificial-intelligence data centers, requiring operators to minimize water consumption, fully fund their power needs and underwrite new electricity generation, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday.
The measures, part of a broader push to define AI's "social licence," come after extensive engagement with AI companies - including Anthropic - and reflect the government's determination to balance investment attraction with protections for energy resources, the environment, creators, and national interests.
In a major speech at the University of Sydney, Albanese warned of a narrow window to set conditions before major foreign investments lock in - suggesting that the new rules are in response to intens
