County Legislators Urge Gov. Hochul To Sign Responsible Data Center Development Act
Legislator Stilley Advocates For Orangetown, Backing Statewide Bill That Would Pause Databank Expansion And Trigger Comprehensive Review Of Electricity Consumption, Water Usage, And More
Orangeburg, NY (Aug. 6, 2026) – Rockland County legislators, activists and residents gathered Tuesday at the Pearl River Little League fields, adjacent to an existing data center, to urge Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act. The event came just days after the Rockland County Legislature became the first county in New York to adopt a resolution supporting the state bill, which would establish a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, including the proposed expansion of the DataBank facility in Orangeburg – already home to four data centers. The bill, passed by the State Legislature in June, is cosponsored by Assemblyman Patrick Carroll, who attended the gathering.
“As one of Orangetown’s proud county legislators, I stand with my constituents in calling on Governor Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act,” said the resolution’s sponsor, Rockland County Legislator Dr. Dana G. Stilley (D-Orangetown). “Orangetown is already home to four data centers, and this resolution sends a clear message: Before approving more large-scale data center projects, we have a responsibility to fully understand their impacts on our electric grid, water supply, environment, and taxpayers. I urge Gov. Hochul to sign this first-of-its-kind legislation into law.”
“While I applaud Gov. Hochul’s executive order pausing data centers consuming 50 MW or more, it would not impact the proposed DataBank expansion – a project whose location adjacent to the Lake Tappan Reservoir, in addition to potential noise and energy costs, concerns me greatly,” said cosponsor and County Legislature Environmental Committee Chair Beth J. Davidson (D-Nyack, Clarkstown). “The state bill would protect Rockland County from the rapid expansion we’ve seen in data centers – not to mention the growing ecosystem of surveillance threatening our civil liberties – and I hope the governor will sign it.”
“New York has an opportunity to lead the nation by taking a thoughtful, precautionary approach to one of the country’s fastest-growing industries,” said cosponsor County Legislator Paul Cleary (D-Haverstraw). “Given the DataBank expansion will impact generations, we need to first understand all the facts. I hope Governor Hochul will sign this bill without delay to ensure that economic development is balanced with protecting our communities and our shared resources.”
“The debate over large-scale data centers isn’t limited to Orangetown – it’s a statewide issue with real implications for communities like Airmont, Suffern, and every municipality that depends on reliable infrastructure and affordable energy,” said County Legislator Jesse Malowitz (D-Suffern, Airmont). “ I was proud to support this resolution because our residents deserve confidence that the decisions we make today will protect our communities and our quality of life for years to come.”
“There has been a proliferation of data centers across the country and throughout New York, including a cluster here in Rockland. These data centers consume significant amounts of energy, some use more energy than entire towns – contributing to skyrocketing utility rates,” said Assemblyman Patrick J. Carroll. “That’s why I proudly cosponsored the Responsible Data Center Development Act to establish a one-year moratorium on large-scale data center development, create a separate utility service classification for data centers, and require additional analysis and reporting to ensure New York fully understands the impact of these facilities before further expansion. While Governor Hochul recently signed an executive order to hold data centers accountable, the EO does not go as far as our legislation. I proudly stand with my colleagues in the Rockland County Legislature to encourage the Governor to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act into law.”
“Every vote we cast shapes the future of New York. That’s why I voted in favor of the data center moratorium, to make sure innovation moves forward with responsibility, not just speed,” said Assemblyman Aron Wieder. “This vote was never about standing in the way of technology or economic growth. It was about giving New York the opportunity to better understand the long-term impact of large-scale data centers on our energy grid, our environment, and our communities before moving forward.”
“The rapid growth of data centers in New York is quickly overwhelming utilities, undermining environmental quality, increasing public health impacts, and putting ratepayers at risk for dramatically increased costs for the infrastructure and extraordinary power demands of these facilities,” said George Klein, Vice-Chair of Sierra Club’s Lower Hudson Group. “We urge the governor to take this opportunity to work with the state legislature to find agreement on ways to further protect New Yorkers by optimizing renewable energy use; minimizing greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of soil, water, air, light and noise pollution; minimizing water use and the discharge of wastewater; and maximizing proper land use including the use of prime farmland; all in line with the state’s Climate Law mandates.”
“Thank you to the Rockland County Legislature for doing the right thing and urging Governor Hochul to sign a bill that would protect Rockland residents from grid instability, noise pollution, and environmental destruction caused by data centers,” said Melissa Hoffmann, Organizer with Food & Water Watch. “The Responsible Data Center Development Act will put a pause on data center applications in Orangeburg left behind by Hochul’s executive order for at least a year. Local residents are now calling on Orangetown to follow in the footsteps of the Rockland County Legislature and stop Databank’s application for its Phase 2 data center before it’s too late.”
Laura Incalcaterra
Communications Director
Rockland County Legislature
11 New Hempstead Road
New City, NY 10956
(845) 638-5184