ALBANY, New York — Gov. Kathy Hochul indicated she’s not interested in a statewide data center moratorium being pushed by some Democratic lawmakers.
The governor declined to take a clear position on the proposal since it hasn’t been passed, but pivoted to talk about her own regulatory approach aimed at ensuring data centers fund their own energy upgrades. She also indicated that siting large-scale data centers to support artificial intelligence is a local issue.
“This is a local decision for municipalities, its land use, which is the purview of local governments,” Hochul told reporters Thursday. “Its not a statewide approach necessarily, but it’s something I’m looking at intensely.”
Why it matters: Some Democratic lawmakers, including Assemblymember Anna Kelles and state Sen. Liz Krueger, and environmental groups are pushing a statewide data center moratorium as the session draws to a close. It’s an issue bubbling up across the country as local and state officials grapple with concerns about the energy use and other impacts of these projects.
