October 6, 2026
FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE: Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan today toured Fishkill Farms, a family-owned, multigenerational farm in East Fishkill, Dutchess County and held a roundtable discussion with several local farmers, advocates and businesses to discuss the impacts of hyperscale data centers. Today’s discussion highlighted New York’s nation-leading moratorium on hyperscale data center construction, which is helping to protect local communities amid concerns over water and land use, energy costs, and proposed data center development, including in East Fishkill. New York State is experiencing an unprecedented surge in proposals for data center development driven by artificial intelligence and other computing operations that could require massive amounts of energy and water to run and cool thousands of computer servers. This summer, Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order hitting pause on new hyperscale data center development. This action has temporarily paused discretionary State environmental permits for up to one year in order to build a regulatory framework that will protect ratepayers, the environment, the energy grid and communities across the state. By pausing discretionary state environmental permits for new hyperscale data center construction for up to one year and imposing strict new rules that hold data center developers accountable and ensure benefits for local residents, Governor Hochul’s moratorium is addressing the ongoing concerns being raised by communities statewide.
“As artificial intelligence grows more powerful and transforms our world as we know it, I’m standing up for New York’s farmers, small businesses and families — ensuring they aren’t left behind,” Governor Hochul said. “I enacted a nation-leading data center moratorium to protect our communities and hold developers accountable because I believe New Yorkers deserve a say in the decisions that affect their future. I’m proud to stand with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan as we deliver a government that’s committed to fighting for working families across New York.”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “Across the country, Silicon Valley billionaires are trying to impose data centers on communities that don’t want them. Today, Governor Hochul, Representative Ryan, and I heard directly from Hudson Valley farmers on the impacts these data centers have on the farming communities in New York State. In July, Governor Hochul took action to protect farmers and working New Yorkers by instituting a one-year moratorium on data center construction. New York is once again showing Americans what is possible when we put working people at the center of our agenda.”
Fishkill Farms Owner and Operator Josh Morgenthau said, “As a farmer and small business owner, I believe communities need to grow. But development needs to be thoughtful and should not come at the cost of our shared resources. Governor Hochul’s moratorium gives us time to understand the impacts on our land, water and energy costs and make sure the right safeguards are in place. I appreciate that our lawmakers are listening directly to the farms and communities these projects could affect.”
As part of her Executive Order, Governor Hochul also directed Empire State Development to develop the nation’s first Community Investment Framework (CIF) to protect communities from exploitative data center development. Additionally, the Governor is pursuing legislation to repeal State sales tax exemptions for massive data centers across the state. In the absence of guidance from the federal government, Governor Hochul has taken action to regulate AI by signing and championing the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act. Starting in November, New York will direct large frontier AI developers to register with the State and prepare for compliance with strict requirements on transparency, safety, and incident reporting as prescribed by the RAISE Act. Those strict standards require large frontier AI developers to report critical safety incidents within 72 hours. Beginning in January 2027, AI companies will be required to comply with those strict standards and provide regular reporting to the state’s new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust (DIGIT) established within the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS). The Governor also emphasized that, in the coming months, she will be exploring ways to build on the RAISE Act as part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen New York’s nation-leading AI safety laws and regulations.
