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A man during a protest on data centers being built in New York State, Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. (Photo by John Washnis/WHAM)
Geneva, N.Y. — Finger Lakes community members are calling on Governor Kathy Hochul to sign a bill establishing stronger restrictions for data centers.
Local leaders and community members at Seneca Lake on Monday said the centers will have a serious effect on the community.
A recent executive orderfrom Governor Kathy Hochul paused construction of all hyperscale data centers.
MORE:Genesee County community protests data centers construction|Hochul’s data center moratorium raises questions for proposed Genesee County project
The group said on Monday that they still need stronger protections for data center construction, including establishing new environmental, labor, and ratepayer protections.
“Really real-life consequences to the lack of accountability and policy to prevent that from happening in the future,” said New York State Senator Kristin Gonzalez. “So, this is a unifying message against AI data centers but really a fight for quality of life for just everyday people.”
Supporters of the centers have argued it would bring jobs to local economies and help the United States keep up in the AI race against China.
