Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino opposes Gov. Kathy Hochul’s one-year moratorium on construction of new data centers in the state.
“I oppose Kathy Hochul’s decision, as it takes power away from local decision makers,” he said.
Democratic candidate Blake Gendebien supports the moratorium.
“Data centers are coming to upstate New York, whether we’re ready or not,” he said. “I support the current one-year moratorium on new data center development while the region prepares.”
On July 14, Hochul, a Democrat, signed an executive order temporarily prohibiting new permits for large-scale data centers for one year, while the state studies the environmental impact, utility cost implications, and host community economic impact.
“The bottom line is progress shouldn’t arrive with a higher utility bill, deleted water supply or noise pollution. So, we have no choice but to address these challenges created by these massive facilities,” Hochul said, in a news release at the time.
Hochul said the moratorium was not an anti-business action.
“No one can accuse New York of fearing innovation,” she said.
Independent write-in candidate Christopher Schmidt also supports the moratorium and said he would support extending the moratorium, if necessary.
“The purpose of slowing down should not be to stop technological progress. It should be to make sure that the infrastructure we build is based on the best technology available rather than technology that may quickly become obsolete,” he said.
A data center is a facility which houses computers and related infrastructure to store, process and distribute information.
The demand for new data centers has mushroomed with the introduction of artificial intelligence applications.
Construction of new data centers has been controversial because of the high volume of electricity and water needed to operate them.
Congressional candidates generally agree that that construction of additional data centers is necessary, but should not be hastily pursued.
“I will make sure the North Country is positioned to capture the maximum benefit, including new jobs, new investment, and new tax revenue, when that moratorium lifts. That means preparing the grid now: upgrading transmission infrastructure and securing the generation capacity to power these projects without raising costs or compromising reliability for the families and farms already here,” Gendebien said.
“I like Elon Musk’s plan to put data centers in outer space, but it should be a local decision to decide whether or not data centers make sense in a given area,” Constantino said.
“I want to see us approach this the same way we should approach any major infrastructure decision,” Schmidt said. “Study it. Understand the risks. Understand the benefits. Make sure the people affected have a voice. Make sure the companies benefiting from the project pay the costs they create.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-CA., introduced a resolution on Aug. 6 stating it is “the sense of Congress” that local communities have the right to reject data center projects in their communities.
The proposed resolution – H. Res. 1471 – is a statement of policy, not a law.
Gendebien supports the proposed resolution.
“It affirms that communities should have a real say before a data center is built near them, including transparency on water use, electricity costs, and pollution,” he said. “I believe those decisions should be made here in the North Country, not overridden by developers or Albany.”
Constantino opposes the proposed resolution.
“It’s an overreach of the federal government to dictate local building regulations. What a community decides to build in their community should be their decision,” he said.
In fact, the resolution does not dictate the decision a community should make, but upholds the right of communities to reject data centers.
Schmidt said he supports the intent of the resolution, but he is wary of federal interference in local and state decisions.
“I am open to something along the lines of this resolution, but I would want to hear more directly from the people of NY 21 about their concerns before advocating for a one-size-fits- all federal approach,” he said.
Constantino, an Amsterdam business owner who lives at Edinburg, in Saratoga County, Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon, in St. Lawrence County, and Schmidt, a day laborer from Hudson Falls, are running for the 21st Congressional District seat that is open because six-term Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, is not seeking re-election.