(July 15): U.S. President Donald Trump criticised New York state's decision ​to halt construction of large new data centres on ‌Wednesday, saying the one-year moratorium would drive jobs and tax revenue to other states.

"New York State has made a ​terrible decision," Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling ​data centres "Money Machines" and "LIQUID GOLD" for the states ⁠that build them. He said companies seeking to build ​them would be courted by other states including Arizona, ​Florida, Texas and Alabama.

Trump also warned that the moratorium risked ceding ground on artificial intelligence to China and other countries, and ​he urged New York to change course.

New York ​on Tuesday became the first US state to impose such a moratorium, ‌which ⁠applies to data centres that use 50 megawatts or more of power to operate. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the facilities threaten to raise utility bills ​and deplete ​natural resources.

The ⁠moratorium positions New York at the forefront of a growing national debate over how ​to manage the infrastructure needed to support ​AI. ⁠While technology companies are racing to build new data centres, lawmakers and regulators in dozens of states are ⁠weighing ​measures to limit their effect ​on electricity grids, utility bills and local communities.

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