Communities near existing data centers have experienced higher electricity bills, undrinkable water, and noise pollution. Without safeguards, these facilities risk driving up utility bills for everyday New Yorkers, strain our electric grid, increase water use and pollution—all while providing relatively few permanent local jobs after construction.

New York State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, sponsor of the Responsible Data Center Development Act, and Food & Water Watch will be embarking on the New York Fights AI Data Centers statewide tour from August 22 to August 30. The Senator will visit over a dozen sites with active or proposed data centers across New York State to hear the concerns from impacted communities and advocate for Governor Hochul to sign the Senator’s bill, which codifies requirements for public participation and transparency, renewable energy use, and labor standards. The legislation also creates separate water and energy rate classes for data centers in an effort to protect ratepayers from increased costs.