The New York State Senate, on its final day of its 2026 legislative calendar, passed a one-year moratorium on new data centers. Lawmakers in support of the legislation are now urging Governor Kathy Hochul to sign it as soon as possible.
State Senator Jeremy Zellner, standing along River Road in the Town of Tonawanda near the site of one such proposed data center, was hoping for a longer pause but says what was passed will allow time to better study environmental impact.
He called passage of the one-year moratorium a victory brought back to Tonawanda.
“This community put the issue on the radar of lawmakers across New York. This legislation creates a one year pause on new large scale data center permits and requires a closer examine of the impacts these projects could have on our electrical grid, our water systems, our infrastructure, and our communities,” he said. “What this bill is saying is that projects of this scale deserve a closer look.”
Critics, however, say the moratorium takes away local control over decision making and could potentially hurt economic growth.
Others were scheduled to appear at the same site Saturday to urge the governor to act, including =Assemblymember Jon Rivera, advocates from PUSH Buffalo and the Clean Air Coalition, and private concerned citizens.
