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Recent public pronouncements have proclaimed a "new" energy vision for New York, but what has been presented is nothing more than a myopic view of the future. An "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, for example, is nothing more than an embrace of continued reliance on burning fossil fuels (in clear violation of New York's widely respected Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or "Climate Law") and promotion of the most expensive way to generate electricity -- nuclear reactors.
Instead, New York should return to policies that make sense economically and are feasible in both the short term and the long term, emphasizing affordability while acting within the scientific consensus on climate. Implementing the Climate Law accordingly will save money- and save lives. Social media post and fact sheet attached.
Please begin call-ins to the Governor to ensure proper implementation of the Climate Law. 518-474-8390
"Hello, my name is __________ and my zipcode is _______. I am calling to urge the Governor to address the destructive practices of the fossil fuel industry that continue to make our energy bills skyrocket and harm our communities and public health by following the timelines and benchmarks set out in the Climate Law. Implementing the Climate Law accordingly will save money and save lives. Thank you!"
Marie J. French, 01/30/2026
ALBANY, New York — Democratic lawmakers in New York want to play a bigger role in regulating massive data centers to support artificial intelligence.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has previously hailed the potential benefits of New York taking the lead on artificial intelligence. But amid rising energy costs and reliability issues, the potential for huge new data centers — which largely do not yet exist in New York — has spurred concern across the country.
“The governor has made clear that she is interested in growing our economy,” said Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, at a budget hearing Wednesday. “These projects often do not come with the jobs that would come with a growing economy.
Democratic lawmakers and Hochul are wrestling with how to address the issue. The governor in her State of the State addresscalled for making sure new data centers pay for any increased costs or bring their own power.
But she didn’t propose any specific provisions for those facilities in her budget. Instead, the state’s utility regulator is expected to use its existing authority to tackle the issue.
That might not satisfy Democratic lawmakers or environmental advocates who want to act on the issue and set up statutory guardrails.
About 50 New York environmental groups are calling for a national moratorium on new data centers. There’s almost certain to be a push in New York to halt all projects as well.
State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas (D) said during the hearing that moratoriums have been proposed in Maryland, Georgia and Oklahoma. Democratic Assemblymember Anna Kelles is expected to introduce a moratorium, according to González-Rojas’ office.
Kelles opposes an AI data center proposed by Terawulf in her district on the site of a shuttered coal plant and has raised concerns about the amount of energy the facilities use along with other impacts.
The Legislature previously restricted new fossil-fuel powered cryptocurrency plants, which before the AI boom was the energy-sucking industry most worrying for supporters of New York’s climate goals. Kelles spearheaded that moratorium push as well.
Lawmakers have already introduced a range of legislation to address data center concerns:
Democratic state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Kelles have a bill requiring data centers to use renewable energy and limit impacts on ratepayers, among other provisions (S6394/A9086).
Democratic state Assemblymember Didi Barrett, chair of the Energy Committee, is sponsoring a measure with Gonzalez aimed at shielding other customers from cost impacts by requiring a new customer class for data centers (A9039/S8450).
Democratic state Sen. Rachel May has a bill requiring data centers to submit carbon reduction plans and giving the state’s energy siting office oversight of batteries for those facilities (S6394).
Gonzalez raised concern about the large number of proposed data centers seeking to hook up to New York’s electric grid in the coming years. She asked how consumers would be protected from potential increased costs, how to ensure projects use renewables and suggested energy efficiency standards for them.
Public Service Commission Rory Christian reiterated that large new energy users, including data centers, pay for the upgrades of the grid they trigger.
He said the commission would start a new process to examine other costs caused by these projects in accordance with the governor’s directive to make sure data centers don’t increase costs for New York residents.
“It's not just the interconnection piece,” Gonzalez said. “It's certainly the additional strain of upgrading our grid that can be used as a reason for another rate hike.”
But environmental and consumer advocates — including the Public Utility Law Project, Earthjustice, NY Renews and the Natural Resources Defense Council — want to see lawmakers codify guardrails around data centers rather than leaving it entirely up to the Hochul administration.
“Data centers are coming, so New York needs to learn the lessons from other states now and start adopting policies to protect New Yorkers,” said Liz Moran, Earthjustice’s New York policy advocate.
Charging data centers more for energy would hurt union members and workers who build these projects, said Daniel Ortega, executive director of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, which is backed by some labor unions.
“These are really big buildings and they employ a lot of people in the building phase,” Ortega said. “These are really good projects for our members overall.”
Another concern that’s been raised by environmental advocates is the water usage of these projects.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said the agency is taking a “hard look” at that issue.
“We’re also taking a hard look at water reuse generally as a state,” Lefton said. “We know that we have great opportunities in the state because of the rich natural resources we have and we’re taking a look also at what additional regulations we want to advance to make sure we’re regulating the water reuse of these facilities.”
From Bluesky
Seneca Lake Guardian
Protect the Finger Lakes for Future Generations
Public Education | Citizen Participation | Engagement with Decision Makers | Networking with Like-Minded Organizations
Join us in understanding the urgent threats facing the Finger Lakes and take action to protect our land and waters. Industrial projects, pollution, and harmful development put our region’s health, economy, and way of life at risk. At Seneca Lake Guardian, a Waterkeeper Alliance Affiliate, we believe that protecting our lakes is a shared responsibility—one that requires awareness, advocacy, and community partnership. We are the only organization dedicated to actively working to protect the Finger Lakes from dirty industrial projects that could threaten the health of our lakes, our rural community character, the Finger Lakes Brand, or the livelihoods of the small business owners who depend on the lakes for their success. Together, we can defend the Finger Lakes from environmental harm and ensure they remain clean, vibrant, and thriving for generations to come. Be a part of the movement to safeguard our waters—because once they’re gone, there’s no turning back.
National Recognition Seneca Lake Guardian Vice President, Yvonne Taylor, was recently recognized as “one of the most influential climate leaders in the country” by Grist 50 for her work to protect the region and educate communities across the country on issues of solid waste, cryptomining and AI/ Data Centers. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it shines a national spotlight on the work Yvonne and Seneca Lake Guardian are doing, not only in New York State, but across the country. This recognition underscores the transformative impact of your support: together, we are shaping environmental policy, inspiring statewide and national movements, and proving that grassroots action can take on powerful industries and win.
A quote from Yvonne to celebrate this moment: “I’m truly humbled and honored to be recognized among so many incredible leaders. This award belongs just as much to our amazing team, our collaborators, and the community members who have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us to create lasting change and inspire me every day. I remain committed to working tirelessly for a healthier, more sustainable future – for my neighbors in the Finger Lakes, for the people of New York, and for communities across the nation.”
We invite you to celebrate this achievement with us and continue standing alongside Yvonne and our team by donating today- so that we can continue to protect what matters most
Seneca Lake Guardian is a New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation with 501(c)(3) status. It is dedicated to preserving and protecting the health of the Finger Lakes, its residents and visitors, its rural community character, and its agricultural and tourist-related businesses. This is achieved through public education, citizen participation, engagement with decision-makers, and networking with like-minded organizations.