Town of East Fishkill Passes 3-Year Data Center Moratorium
The Town of East Fishkill, New York, has enacted a three-year moratorium on data center development amidst growing local opposition to a proposed Treetop data center and general concerns about environmental impacts and electricity costs. This local action comes as Governor Hochul considers a bipartisan statewide one-year moratorium bill, and other New York towns also enact or consider similar measures.
The Town of East Fishkill in New York has passed a three-year moratorium on data center development. This decision was made following a rally outside Town Hall by dozens of Hudson Valley residents and advocates from groups like Food & Water Watch, Indivisible 845, and For The Many, who demanded a halt to Treetop's proposed massive data center in East Fishkill.
Community members voiced concerns about significant environmental impacts, loss of public funds, increased electricity costs, noise pollution, increased water consumption, and potential grid instability associated with data centers. They urged elected officials at state and federal levels to pass similar moratoriums and create regulations. Governor Kathy Hochul is currently considering a bipartisan bill for a one-year statewide moratorium, which, if signed into law, would allow municipalities like East Fishkill to maintain their longer local moratoriums. Other towns in New York, including Lysander, Oneonta, North Tonawanda, and Dryden, have also passed moratoriums or bans, while Brookhaven on Long Island is set to consider an 18-month moratorium. Congressman Mike Lawler, whose district includes several data center proposals, has not yet supported a federal moratorium proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.