---
title: "New York proposes $1M-per-megawatt fee on AI data centers"
url: https://www.parallelquant.com/posts/new-york-proposes-1m-per-megawatt-fee-on-ai-data-centers-650df4
source_name: "Tom's Hardware"
source_url: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/new-york-state-recommends-demanding-ai-data-centers-pay-usd1-million-in-community-investment-per-megawatt-framework-advises-towns-to-plan-for-maintenance-costs-site-abandonment-and-other-contingencies
published: 2026-09-17T11:44:19.000Z
topics: ["policy"]
publisher: "Parallel Quant"
---

# New York proposes $1M-per-megawatt fee on AI data centers

*2026-09-17 · Source: [Tom's Hardware](https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/new-york-state-recommends-demanding-ai-data-centers-pay-usd1-million-in-community-investment-per-megawatt-framework-advises-towns-to-plan-for-maintenance-costs-site-abandonment-and-other-contingencies)*

New York State's new Community Investment Framework recommends municipalities charge AI data center developers $1 million per megawatt of demand in community investment. It also advises towns to plan for facility maintenance costs and eventual site abandonment.

**Why it matters:** This turns generalized public pushback against data centers, already seen in Philadelphia and Scotland's moratorium, into a concrete financial template other states and towns could adopt. Broad adoption of fees like this could meaningfully raise the cost of building AI infrastructure in the US.

**Topics:** policy

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Read the original: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/new-york-state-recommends-demanding-ai-data-centers-pay-usd1-million-in-community-investment-per-megawatt-framework-advises-towns-to-plan-for-maintenance-costs-site-abandonment-and-other-contingencies
Canonical: https://www.parallelquant.com/posts/new-york-proposes-1m-per-megawatt-fee-on-ai-data-centers-650df4
Published by Parallel Quant — https://www.parallelquant.com