State legislator brings ‘NY Fights AI Data Centers’ tour to Batavia today
Press Release
BATAVIA – State Senator Kristen Gonzalez will bring her “NY Fights AI Data Centers” Statewide Tour to Genesee County today at 2 p.m. at Eden Cafe in Batavia, 242 Ellicott St Batavia.
The event is hosted by local residents of Genesee County who are concerned about the proposed STREAM US Data Center at the Western New York Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing (STAMP) mega-industrial site in the town of Alabama.
Senator Gonzalez sponsored the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S.10642), which the NYS Legislature passed earlier this year. This event is one stop on the Senator’s statewide tour to learn from communities fighting existing and proposed data centers.
Residents plan to address a wide range of issues, including their experiences with local governments, the potentially detrimental consequences of a data center at STAMP, concerns about PILOT payments, transparency and accountability issues associated with the GCEDC, the public health and environmental impacts, and alternative visions for the future of the site.
The event will also include time for additional audience comments and discussion with the Senator. The event is open to the public, although in-person attendance is limited and requires an RSVP. The organizers will also livestream the event on zoom.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No. 62 on July 14, 2026, making New York the first state in the country to enact a statewide pause on new hyperscale data center construction. While the Executive Order marks a step toward protecting New Yorkers from the impacts of large-scale data centers, organizers of Sunday’s event hope that this listening session and the Senator’s tour will bolster advocacy efforts towards creating long-term regulations on future data center developments.
Senator Gonzalez’s legislation, the Responsible Data Center Development Act (S.10642), which passed both chambers of the Legislature with bipartisan support in June, codifies important regulations missing from the current Executive Order and ensures public engagement, labor agreements, and energy efficiency standards.
Local residents join advocates around NYS in urging Governor Hochul to sign the Responsible Data Center Development Act to protect New Yorkers after the current Executive Order – which is in effect for up to one year only – has expired.
Today’s listening session represents an opportunity for the downstate-based Senator, Chair of the Senate Committee on Internet and Technology, to hear firsthand how these projects affect rural communities.
People who wish to attend the event in person may RSVP using this link (click here). Those who prefer to watch the proceedings live may join via the Zoom link –https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84465170895.
