Hochul, AOC Unite Against Data Centers in East Fishkill, NY
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared in East Fishkill to oppose a proposed hyperscale data center and warn about impacts on New York's power grid, water supplies and farmland. Hochul has temporarily paused discretionary state environmental permits for new hyperscale facilities and directed the development of a community investment framework, while the status of a separate East Fishkill town moratorium remains disputed.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Pat Ryan toured Fishkill Farms in East Fishkill near a proposed data-center site and publicly opposed hyperscale data-center development. They cited potential effects on electricity demand, water, farmland, environmental protections and local decision-making. Hochul said communities should have a meaningful role in projects that could reshape their future, while Ocasio-Cortez called for similar protections nationwide.
Hochul has issued an executive order temporarily pausing discretionary state environmental permits for new hyperscale data centers for up to one year. The order also establishes protections for ratepayers, the environment and the electric grid, requires developers to contribute to grid improvements, and directs Empire State Development to create a voluntary framework recommending host-community payments of at least $1 million per megawatt. Reports conflict over whether East Fishkill separately adopted a three-year data-center freeze, with local accounts citing both a failed vote and unanimous approval.