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Time to Hit Pause on Big AI Data Centers
Pause first. Plan smart.
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AI is driving a boom in massive data centers, but New York shouldn't rush ahead without understanding the consequences.
This legislative session, lawmakers passed the Responsible Data Center Development Act (A.11560 / S.10642), which would establish a one-year moratorium on permits for new large-scale data centers while the state studies their impacts on energy costs, water use, air pollution, and local communities. If signed, New York would become the first state in the nation to temporarily pause new AI data center development statewide in order to put guardrails in place.
Without smart planning, hyperscale data centers will drive up electricity bills for New Yorkers, strain the electric grid, and increase demand for fossil fuel infrastructure. A one-year pause gives policymakers the time they need to make sure we’ve got the protections we need to keep our air and water safe, and energy affordable.
Tell Governor Hochul to sign the Data Center Moratorium Act.
Take action here >>
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New EANY/Sabin Center White Paper Reviews New York's Climate Law Rollback
What's next for climate in New York?
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Governor Hochul and the NY State Legislature’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) rollback marked the most significant shifts in New York climate policy since the law was enacted in 2019.
A new white paper by EANY's Jon Binder and Sabin Center's Vincent Nolette, produced by Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, examines what those amendments mean for the state's climate future.
The paper — a roadmap for policymakers — explores how the changes will affect emissions planning, rulemaking, permitting, and implementation of the CLCPA. It also outlines the legal and administrative challenges facing state agencies as they update regulations and guidance, while identifying opportunities to strengthen implementation despite the setbacks.
Read the white paper >>
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Gov. Hochul, Sign the Food Date Labeling Act
Savings for families and reduced food waste? What’s not to like?
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Every year, confusing food date labels cause New Yorkers to throw away perfectly good food, wasting money and sending millions of pounds of edible food to landfills.
Luckily, the NYS Legislature passed a commonsense, low-cost solution to the problem. Now it’s up to the Governor to make it law.
The Food Date Labeling Act (A.7291-B / S.7618-B) would establish a clear, consistent labeling system that helps consumers understand when food is safe to eat. It will reduce food waste, save families money at the grocery store, and cut harmful climate pollution , all without placing new costs on consumers.
This is an easy win for New Yorkers and every household’s budget.
Tell Governor Hochul to sign the Food Date Labeling Act.
Take action here >>
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Feeling the Heat? The Governor Should Be, Too
If you're reaching for the A/C, it's time to pick up the phone, too.
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As another summer heat wave pushes temperatures and electricity demand higher, New Yorkers are once again being told to conserve energy. But using less power on AConly addresses a small part of the problem; we need to keep building a cleaner, more reliable energy system that can meet growing demand.
As EANY’s Executive Director Vanessa Fajans-Turner recently told Newsweek: "The real issue is that on the hottest, sunniest days, we're burning gas to run air conditioners and lights at the exact moment solar is most abundant. The answer is to generate more solar in more places—even right in Times Square—and connect it to the grid faster."
The Legislature has already passed two bills that would help New York better prepare for a hotter future: the Accelerate Solar for Affordable Power (ASAP) Act, which expands access to distributed solar and speeds up connections to the grid, and the Tracking Extreme Heat Deaths bill, which improves how the state measures and responds to heat-related deaths.
Extreme heat is not a future threat, it's here. Now it's up to Governor Hochul to sign these commonsense bills into law.
| | Oh Dam: A Beaver Went Viral in New York City | | |
Celebrities are a common sight in Manhattan’s West Village, but this summer the paparazzi caught a different kind of star: a beaver paddling around Gansevoort Peninsula in Hudson River Park, the first ever recorded in the park's 400-acre estuarine sanctuary.
The video by Sophia Tulp shows the beaver riding Hudson waves before climbing out onto the rocks like he owns the place. Which, technically, he might: beavers are our official state mammal and appear right on the New York City seal. (Speaking of which, seals have been spotted as far upriver as Albany.)
According to Hudson River Park Trust's Tina Walsh, beavers are native to the Hudson, but after being hunted nearly to extinction for their pelts, they were a rare sight for a long time. Now, thanks in large part to the Clean Water Act, New York's waterways are more alive than they've been in generations, and the beavers are returning along with a host of other marine and riverine species.

So if you're near the Hudson waterfront and see something busy and industrious in the water, don't panic. It's not a data center. It's just the city's original infrastructure builder checking in on us.
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Join the Fight for a Cleaner, Healthier Future
Your generous support has been crucial in advancing New York’s environmental priorities. But we need your help to keep up the fight, especially in these times. By donating to Environmental Advocates NY, you’ll bolster our efforts to lead on the issues that matter most to all New Yorkers — clean air, safe water, and a sustainable future. Please give today, and power our work for a healthier state.
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