Gov. Hochul touts data center pause as local control

Governor Kathy Hochul visited Babylon, Long Island, to defend her recent executive order imposing a one-year moratorium on hyperscale data centers in New York. Speaking at Babylon Town Hall, Hochul stated the pause is intended to protect utility ratepayers, natural resources, and empower local communities, allowing the state to study the impacts of data centers consuming over 50 megawatts and develop a new regulatory framework.

Her visit coincided with heightened scrutiny of other state-backed energy initiatives, particularly a battery storage plant in East Hampton. Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine recently called for the plant's shutdown following tests that revealed high levels of a "forever chemical" near public drinking water wells, prompting closures and a federal lawsuit filed by the Suffolk County Water Authority against the plant's owners.

Hochul distinguished data centers from large-scale battery projects, asserting that battery facilities require individual assessment rather than a broad-brush approach, referencing a 2023 fire at the East Hampton plant. However, East Hampton Mayor Jerry Larsen expressed that data center protections should also apply to battery storage plants, citing significant safety concerns and potential evacuation impacts.

Critics also questioned the consistency of Hochul's "local control" stance, particularly regarding the Propel NY Energy power line project on the North Shore, which faces local opposition but is moving forward. Hochul reiterated that hyperscale data centers pose a unique challenge due to their "massive drain on power" and "depletion of resources," distinguishing them from critical infrastructure projects like Propel.