Empire State Development
New York's economic development agency, tasked with publishing a hyperscale data-centre Community Investment Framework.
Last refreshed: 15 July 2026
Timeline for Empire State Development
New York freezes new permits by decree
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashAlbany ties campuses to local payback
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashWhat is Empire State Development?
What is New York's Community Investment Framework for data centres?
Why did Hochul order a Community Investment Framework?
Background
Governor Kathy Hochul's executive order of 14 July 2026, which imposed a one-year moratorium on discretionary DEC environmental permits for new hyperscale data centres, also directed Empire State Development to publish a Community Investment Framework within 60 days.
Empire State Development is New York State's principal economic development agency, responsible for steering major investment projects and negotiating the incentives and community terms that come with them. Hochul's order puts it at the centre of deciding what hyperscale operators owe the communities that host their campuses.
Pairing the freeze with a Community Investment Framework signals New York is not trying to stop hyperscale investment outright, but to set terms for it before permitting resumes, echoing similar local-payback moves already under discussion in Albany.