{"slug": "hochuls-data-center-ban-letters-to-the-editor-july-17-2026", "title": "Hochul’s data-center ban: Letters to the Editor — July 17, 2026", "summary": "New York Governor Kathy Hochul's one-year ban on new large-scale data centers has drawn sharp criticism from readers, who argue the move will cost jobs, drive businesses to other states, and expose the state's energy policy failures. Critics say the ban is a short-sighted response to grid strain that unfairly targets AI infrastructure while ignoring broader energy mismanagement.", "body_md": "**The Issue: **Gov. Hochul’s one-year (for now) ban on building new large-scale data centers in New York.\n\nOnce again, New York loses out by “pausing” the construction of data centers for one year ([“Kathy’s A.I. K.O.,”](https://nypost.com/2026/07/14/us-news/hochul-orders-election-year-pause-on-new-large-scale-data-centers-to-power-ai-in-ny/) July 15).\n\nIt’s really no surprise though, just a string of poor decisions made to appease the overeducated “wokesters” that dominate this state.\n\nThink of all the jobs that we are losing out on.\n\nThink of the businesses that will migrate to friendlier states.\n\n*Bill Isler*\n\n*Floral Park*\n\nData centers are money makers and develop jobs, but [Gov. Hochul](https://nypost.com/2026/07/15/opinion/hochuls-data-center-ban-is-a-loss-for-new-york-and-a-win-for-china/) says she’s banning them because they strain the energy grid.\n\nHuh?\n\nThen why is she banning gas appliances and gas heat?\n\nGas supply is abundant, electric not so much.\n\nBut when have we ever expected Hochul to be rational?\n\n*Rob Feuerstein*\n\n*Staten Island*\n\nPausing state permits for new large data centers for up to one year is a short-sighted response to a real challenge.\n\nHuge facilities can strain electric grids, water supplies and local infrastructure, and New York is right to ensure ordinary ratepayers don’t subsidize corporate power use.\n\nBut the answer is to make developers bear those costs — not to suspend projects indiscriminately and risk the state’s economic and technological future.\n\nWe do not have an AI crisis.\n\nWe have an Albany energy-policy crisis.\n\n*Todd Pittinsky*\n\n*Port Jefferson*\n\nUnder the governor’s incoherent energy policies, New York has leaned too hard on wind, solar and outdated nuclear plans while keeping rules and mandates that discourage natural-gas plants.\n\nThe result is a mismatch: Electricity demand is rising, but new dependable supply is not arriving fast enough.\n\nHochul’s temporary ban on critical data centers is nothing more than an attempt to conceal her incompetence and failures to deliver reliable energy for New York.\n\n*Michael Mulhall*\n\n*Moseley, Va.*\n\nThe governor’s shortsighted decision to “study” the impacts of AI data centers for a year before deciding on what New York will do in this space is just another capitulation to the extremists in her party.\n\nThis decision will just further alienate private-sector companies from coming to New York and incentivize those that are still here to leave.\n\n*Peter Kelly*\n\n*Hazlet, NJ*\n\n**The Issue: **The family of a tourist killed in a horse-carriage accident calls on the city to end the industry.\n\nIt is sad that an accident by a horse-drawn carriage caused the accidental death of a teenage tourist ([“ ‘Let his death not be in vain,’ ”](https://nypost.com/2026/07/15/us-news/family-of-teen-killed-in-horse-drawn-carriage-crash-begs-nyc-to-ban-the-industry/) July 16).\n\nBut the number of horse-carriage accidents is dwarfed by the number of accidents involving motorized vehicles in New York City.\n\nWe are much safer in the carriages.\n\n*Lydia DiBello*\n\n*Bay Ridge*\n\nAny death is sad, but it strikes me as ironic that Deepak Mahajan said his son’s death would not have happened had there been a ban on carriage horses.\n\nWhy did he take his family on the carriage ride if he felt unsafe?\n\nWhy did the driver leave the carriage to take the picture?\n\nRules are in place to keep horses and riders safe.\n\nThe carriage driver has culpability for leaving the carriage unattended to take the picture.\n\nThat being said, the horse-drawn carriage industry should not be banned but rather there should be tighter enforcement of the safety rules.\n\n*Joanne Skibicki*\n\n*Manhattan*\n\nThere is a fanatical element among those who want to ban horse carriages.\n\nThis rush to judgement is preventing a full investigation.\n\nA police detail should be assigned to protect the horses, the drivers and therefore the public.\n\n*Diane Moriarty*\n\n*Manhattan*\n\n**Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@nypost.com. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.**", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hochuls-data-center-ban-letters-to-the-editor-july-17-2026", "canonical_source": "https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/opinion/hochuls-data-center-ban-letters/", "published_at": "2026-07-16 21:06:59+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-16 21:30:42.579077+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["Kathy Hochul", "New York", "Albany"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hochuls-data-center-ban-letters-to-the-editor-july-17-2026", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hochuls-data-center-ban-letters-to-the-editor-july-17-2026.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hochuls-data-center-ban-letters-to-the-editor-july-17-2026.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/hochuls-data-center-ban-letters-to-the-editor-july-17-2026.jsonld"}}