Welcome to the Future!
Legislators in Maine are considering a moratorium on data center development. LD 307 will establish a data center coordination council to provide input and evaluate policy options for data center development in the state. An amendment would add a moratorium for data centers with loads above 2oMW until July 1, 2028.
Daily Yonder | As Data Centers Look to Rural New England, Maine Considers a Moratorium
Data center development bans are super popular right now. New York legislators say that they have filed the strongest moratorium on data center development in the country. S9144 Maine, above, might disagree.
Thus far no statewide data center development bans have passed. Local bans have passed. New Orleans has passed a 1 year development moratorium. A similar moratorium passed in Madison, Wisconsin.
Tech Crunch | The public opposition to AI infrastructure is heating up
ABC News : “Uttech is facing what other residents in his town — and others around the country — are facing more and more: the risk of losing parts of his land to eminent domain, the government’s legal authority to seize private property for public use, in support of the growing expansion of AI data centers as the demand to power them continues to grow”
Texas Policy Research Lays out the various arguments supporting county authority to limit development. Rep. Slawson says that counties can protect water under Local Government Code Chapter 231, Subchapter K. Rep. Virdell argues for legislative action. Lt. Governor and Rep. Slawson have requested Attorney General Opinions.
Add Ohio to the states seeking to limit the number of residential properties that investor groups can own.
Ohio has an interesting approach. Instead of placing hard limits on ownership numbers, Ohio State Senator Blessing proposes taxing LLCs that own more than 50 homes. SB 28
The Illinois Rewilding Law allows the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to restore land to its natural state.
Illinois is the first state to re-wild wetlands after changes to the federal Clean Water Act.
Governing | Illinois Becomes First State to Recognize ‘Rewilding’ Wetland Protection
Kansas’ Senate Bill 405 “ outlines eight items AI chatbots cannot do, including providing emotional support through open-ended conversations with a user; acting as a “sentient human” or mirroring humanlike interactions to make the user feel as if they developed a relationship with the chatbot; and encouraging an individual to isolate from their family, friends or caregivers.“
It also expands the Attorney General’s ability to pursue claims under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.
Meet Upside Robotics. It builds lightweight solar-powered autonomous robots that deliver right-sized amounts of fertilizer and nutrients to crops when they need it. This reduces fertilizer use and fertilizer waste.
Tech Crunch | Upside Robotics is reducing fertilizer use and waste in corn crops
Canada, the great neighbor to the North, is experiencing a property renaissance by converting vacant malls into senior living complete with food courts. Malls offer wide corridors and that make the properties well suited for senior living. @engineer.facts_ and You Tube documentary
25% of Nevada’s single family homes are investor owned. This is 6% higher than the national average.
92% of the 25% are small investor owned, meaning the investor owns 1-5 homes. 2.1% of the 25% are mega investor owned, meaning the investment group owns more than 1000 homes.
Nevada Current | Investors own a quarter of Nevada’s houses, but are ‘misunderstood’ says report