Blakeman vows to end Hochul's 'crazy' data center moratorium
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has pledged to rescind Governor Kathy Hochul's one-year moratorium on large data centers in New York. Blakeman criticizes the moratorium as detrimental to the state's competitiveness in AI, while Hochul defends it, citing concerns about utility bills and environmental impacts. The debate reflects contrasting perspectives on economic development and energy policy.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Republican challenger to Governor Kathy Hochul, has vowed to end the governor's one-year moratorium on new large data centers in New York. Speaking in Brooklyn, Blakeman criticized the moratorium as hindering New York's competitiveness in the artificial intelligence sector, advocating for the elimination of climate and electrification mandates to reduce utility costs rather than banning data centers.
Governor Hochul, a Democrat, defended the moratorium, citing uncertainties regarding data centers' impact on utility bills and the environment. She questioned the benefits to New Yorkers, particularly in upstate communities, and suggested that large companies should be responsible for their own power sources.
Former President Donald Trump also criticized the moratorium on social media, describing data centers as "driving forces in the future for jobs" and "money machines," suggesting they should cover their own water and power costs, with any surplus benefiting the state and local communities. Hochul countered Trump's remarks, stating that New Yorkers deserve more than "scraps" if data centers are as profitable as described.