New York Governor Kathy Hochul joined U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pat Ryan on October 6, 2026 for a roundtable at Fishkill Farms, a multigenerational family-owned operation in East Fishkill, Dutchess County, where local farmers, advocates and business owners voiced concerns about the impacts of hyperscale data centers.

Listening Session in Dutchess County Puts Farmers at the Center

The event spotlighted proposals for data center development in the region, including in East Fishkill itself, amid worries over water and land use and rising energy costs. Fishkill Farms Owner and Operator Josh Morgenthau told the assembled officials that while he believes communities need to grow, development must be thoughtful and should not come at the cost of shared resources.

He said the Governor's moratorium gives communities time to understand the effects on land, water and energy costs and to ensure the right safeguards are in place, and expressed appreciation that lawmakers were listening directly to the farms and communities these projects could affect.

Representative Ocasio-Cortez said the officials heard directly from Hudson Valley farmers about the impacts data centers have on farming communities in New York State, adding that across the country, Silicon Valley billionaires are trying to impose data centers on communities that do not want them.

She noted that in July, Governor Hochul took action to protect farmers and working New Yorkers by instituting a one-year moratorium on data center construction.

A Nation-Leading Pause on Hyperscale Development

New York is experiencing an unprecedented surge in data center proposals, according to the Governor's Office, 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.

In response, Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order this summer that temporarily paused discretionary State environmental permits for up to one year for new hyperscale data center development.

The pause is intended to buy time to build a regulatory framework protecting ratepayers, the environment, the energy grid and communities across the state, while imposing strict new rules that hold developers accountable and ensure benefits for local residents.

Governor Hochul said that as artificial intelligence grows more powerful and transforms the world, she is standing up for New York's farmers, small businesses and families to ensure they are not left behind.

She stated that she enacted a nation-leading data center moratorium to protect communities and hold developers accountable because she believes New Yorkers deserve a say in decisions that affect their future, and said she is proud to stand with Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Ryan in delivering a government committed to fighting for working families across New York.

New Framework and Tax Changes Under Development

The Executive Order also directed Empire State Development to develop the nation's first Community Investment Framework, a measure designed to protect communities from exploitative data center development. In parallel, the Governor is pursuing legislation to repeal State sales tax exemptions for massive data centers across New York.

Regulating AI Beyond the Moratorium

The Governor's actions extend beyond data center siting. With the federal government offering no guidance on artificial intelligence, Hochul signed and championed the Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act.

Starting in November, New York will require large frontier AI developers to register with the State and prepare for compliance with strict requirements on transparency, safety, and incident reporting.

Those standards mandate that developers report critical safety incidents within 72 hours.

Beginning in January 2027, AI companies will be required to comply with the RAISE Act's standards and provide regular reporting to the state's new Office of Digital Innovation, Governance, Integrity and Trust, known as DIGIT, which is being established within the New York State Department of Financial Services.

The Governor also emphasized that in the coming months she will explore 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.