Albany, NY – In a letter sent to Governor Hochul and state legislators today, more than 100 community, environmental and faith organizations from across the state called for the passage of a bill to implement a temporary moratorium on the approval and construction of new data centers in New York. The bill (S.9144/A.10141), recently introduced by Senator Liz Krueger and Assemblymember Anna Kelles, requires a comprehensive assessment of environmental and economic impacts of the industry, as well as the implementation of statewide regulations to sufficiently mitigate such impacts before any new data center could be built.

The letter was organized by the environmental organization Food & Water Watch, and signed by groups including Citizen Action of New York, NYPIRG, New York Communities for Change, Make the Road NY, NYC DSA Ecosocialist Working Group, and Seneca Lake Guardian.

The letter states, in part: 

The explosive growth of data centers is one of the biggest affordability and environmental threats of our generation. This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for energy, driving more fossil fuel pollution, straining water resources and raising electricity prices. All this compounds the significant and concerning impacts data centers are having on society, including lost jobs, social instability, and concentration of wealth… The threat of skyrocketing electric bills is particularly troubling. New York experienced a 43 percent increase in residential rates between 2020 and 2025. The rapid build-out of data centers risks exacerbating this harmful trend, driving up energy bills for New Yorkers while undermining the ability to meet our legally- mandated climate goals and burdening our communities with enormous water withdrawals, all while creating few permanent jobs.

“We know enough about data centers to be certain that the unfettered expansion of this aggressive industry is one of the biggest environmental and social threats of our generation. This expansion is rapidly increasing demand for dirty energy, straining water resources, and raising electricity rates for families and small businesses. New Yorkers are paying the price while Big Tech rakes in the riches. This strongest-in-the-nation moratorium bill is logical, it’s timely, and it will deliver the results we need,” said Eric Weltman, senior New York organizer at Food & Water Watch.

“Massive data centers are gunning for New York, and right now we are completely unprepared. When one of these energy-guzzling facilities comes to town they drive up utility prices and have significant negative impacts on the environment and the community – and they have little to no positive impact on the local economy. New Yorkers are suffering from an affordability crisis and a climate crisis, and data centers are going to make both of those much harder to deal with. It’s time to hit the pause button, give ourselves some breathing room to adopt strong policies on data centers, and avoid getting caught in a bubble that will burst and leave New York utility customers footing a huge bill,” said Senator Liz Krueger.

“Data centers are expanding rapidly across the country and in New York, often with significant demands on our electric grid, water resources, and waste systems, and with real consequences for energy bills and climate pollution. New York already has strong environmental and climate laws, but those laws only work if we take the time to understand cumulative impacts and regulate accordingly. This legislation creates a responsible pause so the state can complete a comprehensive assessment and put clear, data-driven standards in place, ensuring that any future development is aligned with our climate goals and the long-term health and economic stability of New Yorkers,” said Assemblymember Anna Kelles.