NEW YORK, N.Y. –  New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez joined Governor Kathy Hochul and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for a roundtable at Fishkill Farms in Fishkill, New York to discuss concerns about data centers’ demands on water, land, and energy in the county, and how these facilities are specifically hurting local businesses and the agriculture industry.

Participants of the roundtable also included Representative Pat Ryan, State Senator Michelle Hinchey, New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, Owner & Operator of Fishkill Farms, Josh Morgenthau, Chair of the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency, Mark Doyle, Owner of Ooms & Sons Dairy Farm, Eric Ooms, President & CEO of Westchester County Association, Michael Romita, and President of Scenic Hudson, Ned Sullivan.

Senator Kristen Gonzalez introduced the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S10642) in May, and the omnibus bill passed through the New York State Legislature with bipartisan support in the final weeks of the legislative session. Following this, the Senator worked with Governor Hochul and stood with her as she signed Executive Order 62, the first in the nation statewide moratorium on hyperscale data centers. 

New Yorkers across the state are concerned about their rising energy bills, the high demands of their water and land, and the general disruptions that large data centers will have on their communities. This sentiment transcends political ideologies, geographies, and all demographics. Senator Gonzalez heard directly from New Yorkers who have spoken out about data center developments on her New York Fights AI Data Centers statewide tour. She visited 13 proposed and/or existing data centers across the state and spoke directly to impacted residents. 

East Fishkill was the 5th stop in the New York Fights AI Data Centers tour. Residents in East Fishkill began organizing against a proposal for an 800,000-square foot, 1,000-megawatt data center and successfully advocated for the town to implement a local 3-year moratorium on new data centers. Advocacy against data centers continues to push for meaningful, comprehensive regulations once these moratoriums expire. Senator Gonzalez’s Responsible Data Center Development Act would mandate public engagement, community benefits, and environmental regulations that are needed to protect communities long-term. 

The Governor has until the end of the year to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act.

Senator Kristen Gonzalez said, “Across New York State, communities are united in the fight against AI data centers. On my New York Fights AI Data Centers statewide tour, I visited 13 existing or proposed data center sites. I met with New Yorkers in communities, just like East Fishkill, fighting to protect their environmental resources and their energy bills from massive data centers. Thanks to Governor Kathy Hochul’s leadership, we have a first-in-the-nation statewide moratorium on the largest data centers. We need to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act into law to mandate public engagement and long term community investment. Alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s federal moratorium on data centers, New York is positioned to be a leader in checking Big Tech, regulating data centers, and putting forward a positive vision for innovation that puts people over profit.”