Rockland County Leaders Urge Hochul to Sign Data Center Moratorium Bill Amid Electricity Cost Concerns
Rockland County leaders, state lawmakers, and environmental advocates are urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act, which would implement a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers in New York. This legislation aims to study the long-term impacts of data centers on the state's electric grid, water resources, environment, and local communities, and would specifically halt the proposed expansion of a DataBank facility in Orangeburg during the review period. Supporters emphasize the need for responsible planning to prevent strain on infrastructure and rising utility costs for residents.
Rockland County legislators, state lawmakers, environmental advocates, and local residents recently convened at the Pearl River Little League fields to call on Governor Kathy Hochul to enact the Responsible Data Center Development Act. This proposed legislation, which has already passed both houses of the State Legislature in June, would impose a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers across New York. The pause is intended to allow the state to comprehensively study the long-term effects of these facilities on the electric grid, water resources, environment, and local communities.
The rally followed the Rockland County Legislature's adoption of a resolution supporting the bill, marking the first county in New York to do so. If signed, the bill would specifically halt the proposed expansion of a DataBank facility in Orangeburg, a location that already hosts four data centers. Legislators, including Dr. Dana G. Stilley, the sponsor of the county resolution, and County Legislature Environmental Committee Chair Beth Davidson, emphasized the necessity of understanding the full impacts of large-scale data centers before further development. They argued that while Governor Hochul recently issued an executive order addressing some data center projects, the proposed legislation offers broader protections and a more comprehensive review.
Assemblymen Patrick Carroll and Aron Wieder, co-sponsors of the bill, also voiced their support, highlighting the need to balance technological advancement with responsible planning to safeguard reliable infrastructure and affordable electricity for New York residents. State Senate candidate Joe Rand, along with environmental groups like the Sierra Club's Lower Hudson Group and Food & Water Watch, joined the call, raising concerns about potential strain on the electric grid, increased utility costs, and environmental impacts stemming from the rapid growth of energy-intensive data centers.