It’s a real power play.
Gov. Hochul wants AI and other computer data centers that devour huge amounts of energy to pay more for electricity in a move she says will prevent sticker shock on regular customers.
“Massive data centers are driving up electricity demand faster than the grid can keep up, pushing costs onto working families and small businesses who can’t afford higher bills,” Hochul said in a statement to The Post.
“While New York continues to lead in attracting new technologies, we must grow responsibly, ensuring affordability comes first and those profiting from data growth pay their fair share,” she said.
Hochul will discuss her proposal in her 2026 State of the State address on Tuesday, saying she will ask the state utilities regulator, the Public Service Commission, to set up an “Energy NY Development” program.
The program would make it easier for large energy users to connect to the electrical grid, but with strict conditions to protect other ratepayers.
Industries will pay more for their energy needs or supply their own, the governor said.
The price structure will be determined by the PSC, according to the governor’s office.
Hochul, a Democrat seeking re-election amid outrage over ever growing utility bills and the high cost of living in New York, has walked back some mandates to comply with New York’s ambitious green energy law — the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019.
The state’s landmark climate law aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050 by phasing out fossil-fuel burning vehicles and power plants — and requires zero emissions for energy generation by 2040.
To the chagrin of climate-change fighting environmentalists, Hochul has steadily walked back parts of the climate law.
She delayed a controversial “cap and invest” program last year that critics warned would send gas and home-heating oil prices soaring.
In November, Hochul greenlit a controversial, President Trump-backed natural-gas pipeline off the Big Apple’s coast and stalled a gas stove ban for newly built homes.
Hochul, in a letter accompanying the state’s updated energy plan last month, argued New York needed to readjust its carbon-free approach — especially because of potentially catastrophic energy shortages.
“I will not risk rolling blackouts or gas outages,” she said.
The PSC asked Con Edison to devise a plan to address the reliability of the Big Apple’s grid — after frightening concerns about the potential for blackouts came to light.
The move followed stark warnings from the independent operator of the Empire State’s electric grid that increased electricity demand and decreasing fossil fuel generation capacity may lead to power outages in New York City as soon as next summer.
