New York State County Enacts Moratorium On Data Centers: Gov Hochul, Rep. AOC Talk With Farmers, Stakeholders
Editor’s note: In New Jersey, the small industrial City of Linden has also enacted a moratorium on data centers, convinced that these locations aren’t suitable for their community. It should also be noted that there are ways to build data centers where these issues are addressed. For those familiar with desktop computers, particularly people who have built them from components, closed loop cooling systems are a real thing. There are water cooling systems on the market that could be used in the centers as well where all of the water keeps being used again and again inside a closed system. Consumers who choose to use them often do so because, in addition to being more efficient, they’re also much quieter. The presence of the water means the attached fan barely ever turns on because it’s not needed. Compared to a standard computer with a regular fan cooler, the volume difference can be significant, and in offices with multiple computers it’s usually a necessity.
When looking at a project that costs, for instance, $60 billion to build, adding an extra $1-2 billion to the budget for a closed loop system saves 70% of the water in a standard system. Adding requirements for clean energy that’s not on the grid, such as solar, wind, geothermal, or even micro nuclear, would eliminate the grid strain issue. All of these possibilities can be discussed – if the data centers aren’t built before the conversations happen, such as they are in red states where residents concerns are ignored, like in Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri, and Vineland New Jersey. The Tennessee/ Mississippi Grok data center was constructed super quickly and uses high methane portable gas turbines, but has faced intense community pressure.
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
Governor Hochul and Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Ryan Highlight New York’s Nation-Leading Moratorium on Hyperscale Data Center Construction
Governor and Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Ryan Hold Roundtable in Dutchess County With Farmers and Community Stakeholders To Discuss Impacts of Potential Data Center Development
Governor Highlighted Key Policies from Data Center Moratorium and AI Safety Regulations
Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan today toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers.
Today’s discussion highlighted New York’s nation-leading moratorium on hyperscale data center construction, which is helping to protect local communities amid concerns over water and land use, energy costs, and proposed data center development, including in East Fishkill.
New York State is experiencing an unprecedented surge in proposals for data center development driven by artificial intelligence and other computing operations that could require massive amounts of energy and water to run and cool thousands of computer servers. This summer, Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order hitting pause on new hyperscale data center development. This action has temporarily paused discretionary State environmental permits for up to one year in order to build a regulatory framework that will protect ratepayers, the environment, the energy grid and communities across the state. By pausing discretionary state environmental permits for new hyperscale data center construction for up to one year and imposing strict new rules that hold data center developers accountable and ensure benefits for local residents, Governor Hochul’s moratorium is addressing the ongoing concerns being raised by communities statewide.
“As artificial intelligence grows more powerful and transforms our world as we know it, I’m standing up for New York’s farmers, small businesses and families — ensuring they aren’t left behind,” Governor Hochul said. “I enacted a nation-leading data center moratorium to protect our communities and hold developers accountable because I believe New Yorkers deserve a say in the decisions that affect their future. I’m proud to stand with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan as we deliver a government that’s committed to fighting for working families across New York.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “Across the country, Silicon Valley billionaires are trying to impose data centers on communities that don’t want them. Today, Governor Hochul, Representative Ryan, and I heard directly from Hudson Valley farmers on the impacts these data centers have on the farming communities in New York State. In July, Governor Hochul took action to protect farmers and working New Yorkers by instituting a one-year moratorium on data center construction. New York is once again showing Americans what is possible when we put working people at the center of our agenda.”
Representative Pat Ryan said, “I’m so proud that here in the Hudson Valley we’re standing together and fighting back against these data center projects. We’re not going to let anyone — especially not a bunch of billionaire tech oligarchs — come in here and poison our water, drive up our utility bills, and build this powerful technology that even they acknowledge could have devastating impacts for humankind. This is a fight that transcends so many of the divides in our country right now because we’re all united in putting our community ahead of corporate profits. From our town boards, to the Governor’s nation-leading moratorium, to urgently needed action at the federal level, we’re going to continue our fight to ensure that we the people are the ones to decide what happens in our lives and in our communities.”
State Senator Michelle Hinchey said, “Tech companies are racing to profit off the AI boom, building data centers wherever they can and leaving communities to bear the costs through increased pressure on water supplies, energy infrastructure, and utility bills. New York is responding the right way — with Governor Hochul’s nation-leading moratorium, which is critical to giving the state time to understand the risks involved and, above all, protect ratepayers from higher bills and our natural resources from depletion. New York has an opportunity to lead in responsible innovation, and I thank Governor Hochul for her leadership and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez for bringing this fight to the federal level.”
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “Across New York State, communities are struggling with the impacts of unchecked data center development from demands on our natural resources to strains on our energy grid. On my New York Fights AI Data Centers Statewide Tour, I visited 13 proposed or existing data centers and met with communities, just like East Fishkill, fighting to protect their air, water, and land. I want to thank the Governor for her first-in-the-nation moratorium on the largest data centers and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her work introducing federal data center legislation.”
“As artificial intelligence grows more powerful and transforms our world as we know it, I’m standing up for New York’s farmers, small businesses and families — ensuring they aren’t left behind.”
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
Assemblymember Didi Barrett said, “It’s clear there is still more work to do in regulating data centers, and I look forward to working with Governor Hochul and her team to address many of the priorities in the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which includes ratepayer protections, robust host community benefits, renewable energy requirements and strong labor standards. I thank Governor Hochul and Representative Ocasio-Cortez for visiting Dutchess County to highlight the impact of large-scale data centers on our communities.”
Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Governor Hochul’s data center moratorium, the first-in-the-nation, placed New York as the leader in understanding that every state needs to take a pause and develop policies to carefully address applications for data centers. The moratorium provides the time to draft those policies while we assess the evolution of this fast-changing technology. We need to establish rules to protect communities and our statewide energy, water, environmental, and economic needs. The Governor’s moratorium executive order allowed New York to move quickly at a time where speedy action was required to protect our communities and the finances of every New Yorker.”
Fishkill Farms Owner and Operator Josh Morgenthau said, “As a farmer and small business owner, I believe communities need to grow. But development needs to be thoughtful and should not come at the cost of our shared resources. Governor Hochul’s moratorium gives us time to understand the impacts on our land, water and energy costs and make sure the right safeguards are in place. I appreciate that our lawmakers are listening directly to the farms and communities these projects could affect.”
As part of her Executive Order, Governor Hochul also directed Empire State Development to develop the nation’s first Community Investment Framework (CIF) to protect communities from exploitative data center development. Additionally, the Governor is pursuing legislation to repeal State sales tax exemptions for massive data centers across the state.
In the absence of guidance from the federal government, Governor Hochul has taken action to regulate AI by signing and championing the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act. Starting in November, New York will direct large frontier AI developers to register with the State and prepare for compliance with strict requirements on transparency, safety, and incident reporting as prescribed by the RAISE Act. Those strict standards require large frontier AI developers to report critical safety incidents within 72 hours. Beginning in January 2027, AI companies will be required to comply with those strict standards and provide regular reporting to the state’s new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT) established within the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS).
The Governor also emphasized that, in the coming months, she will be exploring ways to build on the RAISE Act as part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen New York’s nation-leading AI safety laws and regulations.
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
Rep AOC’s Introduction of the House Version of the Data Center Moratorium Bill:
The Senate companion of the legislation is led by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
WASHINGTON D.C.– Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) introduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act, legislation that would create a temporary prohibition on the construction of new data centers and the expansion of existing data centers until Congress passes comprehensive legislation to address the economic, environmental, and safety impacts of artificial intelligence.
“We have seen ICE partner with AI companies to surveil Americans, social media users employ AI bots to create sexually explicit deepfakes of women and children, and data center construction inflate electric bills in communities across the country. And all of this harm has occurred because of the absence of federal legislation to regulate AI,” Representative Ocasio-Cortez said. “Congress has a moral obligation to stand with the American people and stop the expansion of these data centers until we have a framework to adequately address the existential harm AI poses to our society. We must choose humanity over profit.”
The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives André Carson (IN-07), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
Specifically, the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act would institute an immediate federal moratorium on the construction of new data centers and the expansion of existing data centers until strong national safeguards are in place to ensure that:
- AI is safe and effective — preventing executives in the AI industry from releasing harmful products into the world that threaten the health and well-being of working families, our privacy and civil rights, and long-term economic and social stability;
- The economic gains of AI and robotics will benefit workers, not just the wealthy owners of Big Tech; and
- AI does not increase electricity and utility prices, harm communities, or destroy the environment.
The legislation also bans U.S. exports of AI computing infrastructure to countries that lack equivalent safety and environmental laws and mandates reporting on all financial vehicles involved in a data center’s operations, as well as the center’s water usage, energy usage, wastewater discharge, and worker wage and benefit information.
Read the full text of the legislation here.
Read the section-by-section summary here
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
Banner Image: October 6, 2026 — Hopewell Junction, NY — Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. (Susan Watts/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)
Governor Kathy Hochul
Governor Kathy Hochul began her career in public service on her local Town Board before serving as Erie County Clerk, and then as a member of Congress for New York’s 26th Congressional District. She more recently served in statewide office as Lieutenant Governor and now as the first female Governor of the State of New York.
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