New York Officials Discuss Data Center Moratorium and Regulation at Fishkill Farms
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan discussed data center regulation at Fishkill Farms amid opposition to a proposed 1,000-megawatt project in East Fishkill. The town enacted a three-year moratorium, while the state’s one-year moratorium pauses new environmental permits and allows officials to study impacts on land, water, energy costs and the electric grid.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan, and other officials met at Fishkill Farms in Hopewell Junction to discuss New York’s response to large-scale data center development. The meeting followed East Fishkill’s enactment of a three-year moratorium through July 1, 2029, after public opposition to the proposed 1,000-megawatt "1 Gig Data Center East Fishkill, NY" project. Treetops Development, associated with the proposal, has sent the town a notice of claim.
New York’s statewide one-year moratorium, signed by Hochul in July, pauses new environmental permits for hyperscale data centers while officials develop rules addressing electricity demand, ratepayer costs, environmental effects, water use and community benefits. Hochul and Ocasio-Cortez emphasized the need for transparency and protections, while business leaders argued that clear rules should distinguish hyperscale facilities from smaller data centers. Farm owner Josh Morgenthau and environmental advocates voiced concerns about pollution, water supplies, energy prices and quality of life.