Daily Digest — July 15, 2026
Conservative Movement Organizes Nationwide Data Center Protests
According to E&E News by POLITICO, a conservative activist movement led by Amy Kremer's organization Humans First is coordinating protests against data centers across 37 states this Saturday. The campaign includes 18 rallies planned in Texas and four in New York. Kremer, known for her involvement in Tea Party and MAGA movements, is pushing Republican officials to advocate for stricter oversight and regulatory guardrails on data center development.
New York Enacts Nation's First Statewide Data Center Moratorium
Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order imposing a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers requiring 50 megawatts or more of energy, as reported by multiple outlets including 13WHAM, News 8 WROC, and WHEC. The moratorium pauses state environmental permitting while the Department of Public Service and Department of Environmental Conservation conduct environmental impact studies and develop standards addressing:
- Energy demand and grid stability
- Water usage
- Environmental impacts
- Utility rate protections for ratepayers
The order has immediate implications for a proposed $19–20 billion Stream Data Centers project at the Western New York Science & Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (STAMP) in the Town of Alabama, Genesee County. The project calls for three data halls on 90 acres of the STAMP property.
According to Video News Service, Town of Alabama Supervisor Rob Crossen indicated the executive order appears to exclude local government approvals from its scope, though the town attorney is conducting a full review. Mark Masse, President and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center (GCEDC), told WHEC that the project is continuing through the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process and is already addressing many concerns that formed the basis for the moratorium.
Justin Wilcox, Executive Director of Upstate United, expressed concern that the moratorium sends mixed signals and jeopardizes potential investment, according to Video News Service. Meanwhile, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Sierra Club have filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court challenging an incentive zoning agreement between the Town of Alabama and GCEDC, as reported by 13WHAM ABC News. The suit alleges the agreement restricts the town's ability to modify zoning laws without GCEDC approval. The project's next planning board meeting is scheduled for August 3.
Stream Data Centers and GCEDC have declined to comment on the executive order or pending litigation.
Hochul data center moratorium raises questions for proposed Genesee County project
13wham.com
NY becomes first state to impose data center moratorium
13WHAM ABC News
New York enacts data center moratorium; impacts Genesee County project and draws local reactions
Video News Service
New York Governor Hochul Enacts Data Center Moratorium, Affecting Genesee County Project
WHEC.com
New data center moratorium likely to delay $19B massive local project
News 8 WROC
Jackson, Mississippi Approves Six-Month Data Center Moratorium
The Jackson City Council voted 5-2 on Tuesday to enact a 183-day moratorium on new data center proposals, becoming the first city in Mississippi to impose such a pause, according to the Clarion-Ledger and Mississippi Free Press. The ordinance takes effect in 30 days.
Council members Tina Clay, Kenneth Stokes, Brian Grizzell, Lashia Brown-Thomas, and Kevin Parkinson voted in favor. Ashby Foote and Vernon Hartley voted against. Key details of the moratorium:
- Duration: 183 days, with authority to extend or cancel at any time
- Scope: Pauses new data center proposals citywide
- Exemption: Land near Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport was excluded via a unanimous amendment
- A proposal to shorten the moratorium to 60 days failed
The moratorium follows months of public debate and community opposition to a proposed 190–230 acre data center project by New Jersey-based Saxum Investment Group in Ward 2, as reported by WAPT and Magnolia State Live. Residents raised concerns about noise, water consumption, air quality, and utility costs. The Planning Board had previously postponed Saxum's rezoning request.
Councilman Foote argued the moratorium could deter economic growth, pointing to $5 billion in projected tax revenue from two data centers in nearby Madison County, according to WAPT. Councilwoman Clay countered that the city's financial challenges should not dictate development without proper oversight.
Jackson City Council votes to pause new data center development in Jackson
The Clarion-Ledger
Jackson City Council Enacts Six-Month Data Center Moratorium Amid Resident Opposition
Mississippi Free Press
Jackson City Council votes to approve data center moratorium
WAPT
Mississippi city becomes the first to pass a data center ban with six-month moratorium Tuesday
Magnolia State Live
Jackson City Council approves data center moratorium
16 WAPT News Jackson