From the rural farmlands of western New York, to the pristine hills of the Finger Lakes, to the beaches of Long Island: a slate of brand new AI data centers are in the process of connecting to New York’s power grid and awaiting approval while corporate giants and government officials haphazardly push through pesky environmental regulations and build out the infrastructure necessary to power them.

Of the 25 projects added to New York’s power grid interconnection queue this year, over half of them are data centers. These “energy-intensive” projects are in the process of connecting to the grid and will drastically increase power usage; over 7000 megawatts (MW) by 2030. Just 1 MW can power around 1,000 homes for a year in New York, according to NYISO, New York’s electrical grid manager.

On Sept. 18, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) approved National Grid’s long-term infrastructure plan, which includes the controversial NESE pipeline, by unanimous decision. NESE alone would increase greenhouse gas emissions by 12%, severely undermining the Climate Change Act’s goal of being net-zero by 2040.

The 2.5 million ratepayers in Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island will be on the hook for the pipeline’s around $3 billion construction cost through a +3% increase in their power bills. Though these downstate ratepayers may find those bills climb even higher within the next few years.