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In today’s CapCon:
Democrats have struck a deal on an omnibus bill to pause new data centers and place strict regulations on those facilities and their energy use in the future.
The new redistricting amendment is out (here are details) and was accompanied by a separate bill that could help Democrats convince voters to approve it.
The packaging reduction bill has hit a roadblock for a third consecutive year, with Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie saying its chances of passing are dim.
Both chambers have now approved a bill that would allow the state’s ethics agency to publicly post the financial information of candidates for state office.
Lawmakers have introduced and teed up for passage a bill that would create a special wage board to recommend minimum wages in the cannabis industry.
Names in today’s CapCon: Kristen Gonzalez, Kathy Hochul, Carl E. Heastie, Judith Enck, Phil Steck, James Skoufis, Amy Paulin, Jessica Ramos, Harry Bronson
State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez at a rally on data centers (Will Waldron/Times Union)
⚡ Data centers omnibus bill with 1-year moratorium expected to pass both chambers
Democrats in the state Senate and Assembly have struck a deal on an omnibus bill that would pause the development of new data centers and enact strict rules around their operations.
It includes provisions from more than half a dozen separate bills introduced this year related to data centers, which fell out of negotiations around the state budget. Gov. Kathy Hochul wasn’t involved in talks around the new omnibus bill.
“The governor’s office knows we want to do this,” Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said Tuesday. “I don’t know if they’re in (agreement) in a three-way way yet but they know that we’re doing this.”
Both chambers expect to approve the bill before they leave Albany for the year later this week. That’s why it was introduced overnight Monday. That will allow it to age the required three days before it can go to the floor of either chamber for a vote.
It was a massive effort given that the state budget wasn’t passed until last week, said state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, who sponsors the new omnibus bill. Their main opposition came from the tech industry.
“I think there has been significant investment in lobbying from big tech because for so long they have enjoyed writing the rules for themselves,” Gonzalez said. “Big tech has wanted us to do nothing because nothing benefits them.”
The bill is opposed by the Digital Power Network, which describes itself as a “coalition of Bitcoin miners and digital infrastructure leaders.”
“DPN is prepared to engage constructively on legislation that improves environmental transparency, ensures fair cost allocation, and advances grid decarbonization without categorically suspending an entire sector of the modern economy,” the group said in a statement.
It’s an easier bill to understand if I break down the various provisions that lawmakers decided to include into seven parts.
(Will Waldron/Times Union)
One-year moratorium: It would place a one-year moratorium on the issuance of any new permits, licenses or approvals from the state Department of Environmental Conservation for large data centers, which are defined as having a peak demand of 20 megawatts or more.
That would not apply to existing data centers seeking to renew their current permits or others that have already started construction.
Mandatory local public hearings: When that moratorium is up, data center operators would have to hold at least one in-person public hearing in the host community at least three months before a permit can be approved.
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