New York State Data Center Moratorium
The Group joined New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and fellow community organizations to support a statewide moratorium on data center construction.
Artificial intelligence and its need for massive data centers make headlines daily, highlighting a myriad of concerns across the country, including destruction of land, increased noise, intensive water use, and impact on jobs. As the demand for data centers increases and communities come face-to-face with the impacts, New York State is taking a proactive approach with a moratorium to halt any project proposals until systems and regulations can be put in place.
In July 2026, the Group joined Governor Hochul and fellow community stakeholders to discuss the moratorium and actions the state can consider in the meantime to support and empower local communities. The Group recommended that technical assistance grants be made available to qualified community organizations to help them retain the professional expertise necessary to objectively evaluate data center applications and related technical materials. Similar grants provided through the federal Superfund program have helped communities in their review and critical assessment of land characterization and remediation efforts.
The Group also recommended that the governor establish an online public portal to take community input on data center concerns and experiences to best inform the eventual recommendations that will be put forth when the moratorium is complete.
An informed public is critical not only to ensuring that data center applications are objectively scrutinized and understood, but also to giving people the opportunity to speak up for their community and environment.
The Group will continue to advance its recommendations and remain engaged with the governor’s office, local governments, environmental organizations, and community members as further details of the moratorium and related data center proposals come into sharper focus.
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