State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, 59th Senate District, representing parts of Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, visits with local labor groups at Liberty and Ellicott Streets in Batavia, NY before her stop at Eden Cafe for her ‘NY Fights AI Data Centers’ Tour.
(Information from a provided press release)
Senator Gonzalez sponsored the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S.10642), which the NYS Legislature passed earlier this year.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 62 July 14, 2026, making New York the first state in the country to enact a statewide pause on new hyperscale data center construction. While the Executive Order marks a step toward protecting New Yorkers from the impacts of large-scale data centers, organizers of Sunday’s event hope that this listening session and the Senator’s tour will bolster advocacy efforts towards creating long-term regulations on future data center developments.
Senator Gonzalez’s legislation, the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S.10642), which passed both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support in June, codifies important regulations missing from the current Executive Order and ensures public engagement, labor agreements, and energy efficiency standards.
Local residents join advocates around NYS in urging Governor Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act to protect New Yorkers after the current Executive Order – which is in effect for up to one year only – has expired. The August 23 listening session represents an opportunity for the downstate-based Senator, Chair of the Senate Committee on Internet and Technology, to hear firsthand how these projects affect rural communities.
Link to Tour event inside Eden Cafe at Liberty and Ellicott Streets on Sunday, August 23rd, 2026
Local supporters pose for a group photo with State Senator Kristen Gonzalez before she left for her next stop in Dresden, NY.
The tour will continue all this week until next Saturday.
