Food & Water Watch - New York

08/20/2026

Orangetown is considering a moratorium on new data centers, but it must include DataBank’s existing application. And Governor Hochul must sign legislation that would pause the project! Join Food & Water Watch New York Datacenter Crisis New York and New Jersey (DCC NY & NJ) Indivisible Rockland and Senator Gonzalez for a rally at 6pm and then speak out at the Town Board’s public hearing at 7pm!

08/18/2026

New York is having a conversation about the future of AI and data centers—and communities need to be part of it.

From Aug. 22–30, the New York Fights AI Data Centers statewide tour will visit 13 communities across the state to hear directly from people impacted by data center development.

We’re joining the call for transparency, public participation, renewable energy, strong labor standards, community benefits, and protections for ratepayers.

Responsible development means putting communities first, Governor Hochul must sign Kristen Gonzalez's & Didi Barrett's Responsible Data Center Development Act now!

Join us on tour here: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/ny-fights-ai-data-centers-tour-with-sen-kristen-gonzalez?source=direct_link&referrer=group-food-water-watch

08/13/2026

Protesters urged Mayor Mamdani and the City Council to support the Gas Free NYC plan. The proposal calls for expanding heat pumps in low-income communities and phasing out new oil and gas boilers beginning in 2030.

NEW YORK (PIX11) — Nine people were taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after protesters blocked the entrance to Con Edison’s headquarters on Irving Place in Manhattan, police said. NYPD officer…

08/12/2026

We’re rallying outside ConEdison to demand that Mayor Mamdani support a GasFreeNYC!

08/06/2026

On July 8th, the Orangetown Planning Board voted unanimously for a full environmental review of DataBank’s Phase 2 application for a massive data center on Lake Tappan.

This decision takes into account the significant environmental impact that a project of this size would have next to Lake Tappan. After months of large-scale public opposition to the project, the Town Planning Board listened to our concerns to require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in compliance with SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act).

This is a big win and is a testament to the power of our movement! So what comes next? How do we stop this project for good?

Join Food & Water Watch and the Data Center Crisis Coalition for a virtual meeting to talk about where we are and where we go from here. We’ll discuss what the 3 moratoriums – one proposed at the municipal level, one passed by the state legislature, and one enacted by Governor Hochul, mean for stopping the Orangeburg Data Center. It’s a meeting you don’t want to miss!

08/06/2026

Rockland County is the first county in New York to pass a resolution in support of the Responsible Data Center Act!Thank you to the Rockland County Legislature for urging Governor Hochul to sign a bill that would protect Rockland residents from grid instability, noise pollution, and environmental destruction caused by data centers.

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.

07/21/2026

If you’re going to vote to knock your constituents off healthcare, food assistance, take away funding for clean water infrastructure and water privatization, AND make it easier to build fossil fuel pipelines in your district, you need to held accountable by the people you represent. Join our weekly canvassing in Rep. Lawler’s district to talk to your neighbors about why its so important we speak out NOW against cuts to our clean water, food, and climate.

07/14/2026

BREAKING: Governor Kathy Hochul just issued an Executive Order that includes a moratorium on new data centers 🎉 This victory will put the brakes on dozens of planned projects and is the result of a large, growing movement to stop these extractive facilities.

New York is now the first U.S. state to put a pause on construction, but the fight isn’t over. This EO is not as strong as the bill passed by the Legislature that is still awaiting Hochul’s signature. In the meantime, we’ll continue the fight to fully protect people and the planet from data centers.

Still, this is a HUGE win. Today's order takes effect immediately, which will protect so many New York communities. Thank you to our members, volunteers, allies and the thousands of New Yorkers who made calls, signed petitions and showed up to offices, rallies and more to make this victory possible!

07/14/2026

This morning Governor Hochul announced the issuance of an executive order that will impose a one-year moratorium on the construction of large-scale data centers in the state above 50MW.

This one-year moratorium is a huge step forward for New York communities fighting against an onslaught of massive data center proposals. It comes as the direct result of immense public pressure from people across the state demanding their elected leaders protect them from Big Tech’s assault, which threatens the state’s clean air and water, and New Yorkers’ financial security.

This must be only the first step Governor Hochul takes, though. Orangeburg in Rockland County is facing four distinct data center proposals that collectively would reach more than 120 megawatts in scale – but when assessed separately they are only considered 30 megawatts each and therefore excluded from Hochul’s current moratorium.

07/09/2026

Orangeburg, NY — At the Orangetown Planning Board meeting last night, the board voted unanimously to require the completion of an environmental impact statement on the proposed Phase 2 expansion of the DataBank hyperscale data center complex in the town. The requirement has the practical effect of halting the project indefinitely.

At the board meeting, the vote on the application triggered a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in compliance with SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act). This decision takes into account the significant environmental impact that a project of this size would have next to Lake Tappan. Residents are pleased with the Town Planning Board’s decision to listen to their concerns and require a full study of the environmental impact of this project. This decision comes after months of large-scale public opposition to the project.

Before the meeting, local elected officials and organizations including Food & Water Watch, Indivisible Rockland, the Data Center Coalition and Sierra Club joined more than 100 local residents gathered outside Orangetown Town Hall to demand the Planning Board reject DataBank’s application, citing concerns over egregious water consumption, skyrocketing energy costs, painful noise levels, and misuse of public funds.