Kathy Hochul
New York's 57th governor and the first woman to hold the office.
On 15 September, a New York framework required by Governor Kathy Hochul's 14 July permit freeze set a voluntary $1m-per-megawatt community-spending benchmark for data-centre developers.
Last refreshed: 24 September 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Will Kathy Hochul sign or veto New York's landmark data centre permit freeze?
Timeline for Kathy Hochul
Required the framework under her July permit freeze
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: New York asks $1m per MW for host townsSigned executive order freezing new hyperscale data-centre permits
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: New York freezes new permits by decreeOrdered the investment-framework mandate via her executive order
Data Centres: Boom and Backlash: Albany ties campuses to local paybackNew York freeze waits on Hochul
Data Centres: Boom and BacklashReceived both-chamber-passed AI disclosure bill A9581/S8706 awaiting signature
AI: Jobs, Power & Money: States write the AI law Congress won'tBackground
Kathy Hochul is the Governor of New York, with responsibility for state executive action and coordination across agencies. On 22 March, she announced $17.2m in federal security funding for World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium, split among the State Police, NYPD, MTA and Port Authority.
She became New York's first female governor in August 2021 and is the state's 57th governor. Her office sits at the junction of state regulation, public infrastructure and major-event planning, where executive orders can direct state agencies and shape the terms under which private projects proceed.
Hochul's relevance extends beyond individual policy disputes because New York's governor can combine executive authority with agency oversight. The 14 July permit order showed that this authority can set statewide conditions even when parallel legislation remains unresolved.
Hochul sets conditions for data centres
On 14 July, Hochul signed an executive order freezing new discretionary environmental permits for hyperscale data centres in New York for one year. The order created a separate executive route while similar legislation remained unsigned.
The same 14 July order gave Empire State Development 60 days to prepare a Community Investment Framework for developers seeking to operate after the freeze. On 15 September, the agency published a voluntary benchmark of $1m per megawatt for community spending. Developers face no penalty for declining it, so Hochul's approach relies on incentive negotiations rather than a new regulator.