--- title: "New York paused data centers first, and organizers want a stricter pause" description: "Two years into her fight against a 600-megawatt project, Adrienne Yocina fears the governor will not sign a tougher moratorium, while polls show voters…" url: https://tech.skoop.news/what-democrats-can-learn-from-new-yorks-data-center-moratori-c0d95c/ published: 2026-11-02T04:14:06.767289-05:00 modified: 2026-11-02T04:14:06.767315-05:00 section: "Tech & Apps" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Hochul", "York City Economic Development Board", "York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani", "FTC Commissioner Lina Khan", "Governor Kathy Hochul", "Tonawanda Seneca Nation", "Adrienne Yocina", "Yorkers", "MultiState", "Quinnipiac"] hashtags: ["#YorkCityMayorZohranMamdani", "#FTCCommissionerLinaKhan", "#tech", "#ai"] image: https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Smartphone_display_screen.jpg/1280px-Smartphone_display_screen.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail --- # New York paused data centers first, and organizers want a stricter pause > Two years into her fight against a 600-megawatt project, Adrienne Yocina fears the governor will not sign a tougher moratorium, while polls show voters leaning her way. Published 2026-11-02 · Updated 2026-11-02 · Tech & Apps, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Adrienne Yocina has organized for two years in western Genesee County to stop a 600-megawatt data center near the Tonawanda Seneca Nation's reservation and a federal wildlife refuge. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) - Hochul said the purpose of her pause was that communities should be able to choose whether to have data centers. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) - A September Siena poll found 63 percent of New Yorkers would oppose data centers being built in their area even after Hochul's moratorium expires. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) ## A first-in-the-nation pause with a catch Adrienne Yocina has organized for two years in western Genesee County to stop a 600-megawatt data center near the Tonawanda Seneca Nation's reservation and a federal wildlife refuge. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) She was excited when New York became the first state in the country to enact a moratorium on data center development. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) Her worry is what comes next. Yocina fears that Governor Kathy Hochul won't sign a stronger bill imposing a stricter moratorium. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) ## Where the governor and the bill's sponsor stand Hochul said the purpose of her pause was that communities should be able to choose whether to have data centers. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) State Senate sponsor Kristen Gonzalez has publicly supported Hochul's moratorium, and says the governor's office reached out to her after her bill passed to help design it. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) Gonzalez also reports what she heard on a data center tour of New York. She said the people she talked to overwhelmingly wanted Hochul to implement more aggressive measures to protect communities. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) ## What the polls show A September Siena poll found 63 percent of New Yorkers would oppose data centers being built in their area even after Hochul's moratorium expires. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) According to the same poll, 75 percent of New York Democrats would remain opposed to data center development after the moratorium. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) In a recent Quinnipiac poll, 53 percent of New York voters trusted Hochul to do a better job handling AI and data centers, compared to 31 percent trusting Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) Blakeman called Hochul's moratorium 'crazy' when it was passed in July. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) ## Pressure from New York City and other races New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he will call on Governor Hochul to sign a more expansive data center moratorium bill into law. [[2]](https://gizmodo.com/zohran-mamdani-backs-major-expansion-of-new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-2000827966) He said city AI policy has been guided by the question of what can be done in the face of a complete abdication of federal law. [[2]](https://gizmodo.com/zohran-mamdani-backs-major-expansion-of-new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-2000827966) The city has already acted on AI in schools. Its one-year ban temporarily prohibits AI chatbot use in schools for students through eighth grade, and high schoolers' use is limited to five pilot programs and critical thinking modules. [[2]](https://gizmodo.com/zohran-mamdani-backs-major-expansion-of-new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-2000827966) Mamdani has also tapped former FTC Commissioner Lina Khan to lead the New York City Economic Development Board. [[2]](https://gizmodo.com/zohran-mamdani-backs-major-expansion-of-new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-2000827966) Other states are watching the same question in their governor's races. At least 20 gubernatorial candidates have promised a data center moratorium or pause, according to research compiled by MultiState. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) ## What this means for you If you live in New York, the current moratorium is a pause that Hochul says is meant to let communities choose whether to have data centers. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) The Siena poll found 63 percent of New Yorkers would still oppose data centers in their area after it expires. [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) The next thing to watch is whether Hochul signs a more expansive bill, which Mamdani said he will call on her to do and which Yocina fears she won't. [[2]](https://gizmodo.com/zohran-mamdani-backs-major-expansion-of-new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-2000827966) [[1]](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) ## Sources 1. [What Democrats Can Learn From New York’s Data Center Moratorium](https://www.wired.com/story/what-democrats-can-learn-new-york-data-center-moratorium/) — Wired 2. [Zohran Mamdani Backs Major Expansion of New York’s Data Center Moratorium](https://gizmodo.com/zohran-mamdani-backs-major-expansion-of-new-yorks-data-center-moratorium-2000827966) — Gizmodo Image: Photo (illustrative): Skitterphoto / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smartphone_display_screen.jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/