SYRACUSE, N.Y. — State Senator Christopher Ryan (D, 50) is voicing support for Governor Kathy Hochul’s executive order pausing new hyperscale data center approvals across New York State for up to a year.
Hochul signed the executive order Tuesday, freezing new approvals for hyperscale data centers, the massive server farms that power everything from streaming video to online banking to AI chatbots. The freeze lasts up to a year, giving the state time to figure out how to regulate an industry that’s expanding faster than anyone can keep up with.
State Senator Ryan said the pause gives the state room to strengthen its energy capacity, including through nuclear power and other renewable sources, while it works out how to regulate the industry.
“As our region continues to grapple with rising utility costs and growing concerns about energy scarcity, we must ensure that Central New Yorkers are not left footing the bill for the immense energy and water demands of these facilities,” Ryan said in a statement.
Data centers require massive amounts of electricity to run and water to keep servers cool, and critics have warned that costs tied to that demand could get passed on to everyday ratepayers.
Ryan said the projects still carry upside if they’re built the right way. He pointed to the potential for “good-paying” union jobs and economic growth, but said that it depends on responsible planning and infrastructure that can actually support the facilities long-term.
“I will always stand with ratepayers, advocate for a strong union workforce, and work to strike the right balance between protecting our communities and embracing economic opportunities that benefit New York’s future,” Ryan said.
The moratorium supersedes a string of local pauses already adopted across Central New York. Manlius approved a one-year moratorium on July 8 in a unanimous vote. Clay followed on June 29 with its own one-year pause, even though no data center project had been formally proposed there. Lysander’s town board voted for a six-month moratorium in May after residents raised concerns about a proposed 300-megawatt facility from Renalli Super DC, LLC.
Hochul said the goal is for New York State to be the first state in the country to get data center development right, building rules that protect the power grid and the environment while still letting communities benefit from the industry, not just absorb its costs.