Hochul and Ocasio-Cortez Appear Together to Promote State Data Center Pause
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promoted New York’s pause on state permits for large data centers during an event in East Fishkill. Hochul said the state is developing rules requiring large data centers to provide their own power or pay more to use the grid, while East Fishkill has separately enacted a three-year local moratorium after resident opposition to a proposed project.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared at Fishkill Farms in East Fishkill to support New York’s pause on state discretionary permits for new or expanded data centers using at least 50 megawatts. Hochul’s Executive Order 62 directs the Department of Environmental Conservation to hold such applications for up to a year while the Department of Public Service conducts a statewide environmental review; local-government permits are not covered.
Hochul said the state is developing requirements for large data centers to supply their own electricity or pay a premium for grid service, and she is seeking to end state sales-tax exemptions for the facilities. The East Fishkill Town Board enacted a separate three-year data center moratorium in June after residents objected to a proposed project that Hochul said could require 1 gigawatt of power.
Ocasio-Cortez also promoted her federal Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, which would halt new data center construction and expansions until Congress adopts broader artificial-intelligence regulations. Sen. Bernie Sanders is sponsoring a Senate version of the bill.