Dear ALBB: "As A Resident, My Concerns Are For Potential Irreparable Changes… For All The residents…Not Only Those Residing In District 21 Where The Hyperscale Data Center(s) Could Be Located… “

Dear A Little Beacon Blog:

“My name is Fran Caracappa, a resident of East Fishkill for almost 37 years, living in proximity to the site of the proposed 1 Gig data center. The site is in my legislative district - 21- for which I am running for County Legislator.

“As a resident, my concerns are for potential irreparable changes which may lie ahead for all the residents of East Fishkill, not only those residing in District 21 where the hyperscale data center(s) could be located.

“A hyperscale data center has no place in East Fishkill, in a town eager to expand tourism and open spaces as specified in the recently adopted Town’s Comprehensive Plan. Does the town need such a large capacity facility? The electrical grid operator , NY ISO in a joint meeting with Central Hudson on April 8, 2026, informed attendees that new large load customers such as AI computing is driving projected demand higher – at a cost to all of us. Do we have to bear the burden for those well south of us and at what cost?

“I have always acknowledged that the project is not before the Town Planning Board. However, the project is in the Grid Operators active queue assessing its interconnection with Central Hudson and NYSEG. In a load connection memo (May 14, 2026), NY ISO is reviewing project #1738 (1,000 MW) along with a project in IPark #1760 (150MW.) NY ISO is also potentially reviewing the impact of overall capacity for the 2 East Fishkill projects as well as the Orangeburg and Buchanan sites.

“What is the right size of data centers for the environment? We need to understand the impact on our water sources and wetlands, exposure to forever chemicals (PFAS), the 24/7 noise levels and light pollution, the heat generated, use of back up diesel generators when the grid is unstable and the electronic waste as components age out.

“A moratorium is needed to assess the full impact on our environment and health. As someone who holds a master’s in public health, I understand the consequences can be irreparable.

“I am concerned citizen; a moratorium will allow the Town to take the time out that is needed to fully assess the impact of a hyper-scale data center.”

Data Center Moratorium: "Can An Existing Site Plan For A Warehouse Be Amended To Be A Data Center?"

Since A Little Beacon Blog’s article published about the prospect of a data center being built in East Fishkill, and the unanimous vote on the moratorium on new data centers that followed (existing applications would be honored, but there are no existing applications before the town), readers have been asking: “Can a developer amend a site plan? In the data center moratorium, if a plan that has been submitted already, like Treetop’s plan for the warehouse, can they amend the site plan to be a data center and be within an existing plan that is exempt from the moratorium?”

ALBB posed this question to East Fishkill’s Town Supervisor, Nick D’Alessandro: “No, they cannot,” he answered.

Columbia University’s Sabin Center Climate Law Blog has published an article about the sustainability of such moratoriums, saying: “Rapid data center development is challenging local governments’ ability to manage the environmental challenges these facilities raise. Cities, towns, and counties are facing both uncertainty about the scope of those impacts and growing opposition to data centers from residents. In response, many are turning to temporary moratoria to pause data center development while they figure out the right regulatory approach. According to one Data Center Tracker, at least one hundred data center moratoria have been adopted in communities across the country. But the legal frameworks in which these measures operate can be complex, and cities have limits on how—and for how long—they can use a moratorium in this way.” Much more legal detail is in Sabin Center’s article.

By Unanimous Vote, East Fishkill Town Board Passes 3 Year Moratorium On Data Centers

On Thursday evening, after the East Fishkill Town Board voted on a 3 year moratorium on data centers, Mike Schade wrote into A Little Beacon Blog as a followup to our earlier article about the anticipated vote to pass the moratorium, to report in that the Board voted unanimously to pass the moratorium. He CCed Fran Caracappa, who said: “I live in East Fishkill, and the site is in my legislative District 21 - for which I am running for County Legislator. We will see how the town prepares its review during the moratorium.”

This action to pass the 3 year moratorium is sparked by interest in Treetop Companies inquiry to East Fishkill to build a data center instead of the 1,161,515 SF warehouse they are currently planning for.

News12 Hudson Valley reported that Town Supervisor Nick D'Alessandro “has been reminding the community that Treetop has never submitted a formal application for the project nor a site plan, and that current zoning laws do not allow standalone data centers.” Nick acknowledged to his constituents and to News12 that “any landowner and/or developer is free to explore new uses for their land, but that exploration is far from any approved project.”

During the Town Board Meeting, recent college graduate, James Quinlin, was quoted by News12 as being concerned about Treetop’s interest, and appreciated the early backlash. The media outlet reported: “He is glad opposition has started early, even before the company submits any site plan or zoning law requests to the town,” News12 stated.

Mike Schade’s statement that he presented during the meeting has been printed in full below. Mike is also running for Dutchess County Legislature, District 17.

“My name is Mike Schade. I live in neighboring Fishkill. Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

“I want to recognize that no formal proposal for a massive data center has been submitted to the Town of East Fishkill. At the same time, the fact that a project of this scale is being evaluated by the New York Independent System Operator raises serious questions and concerns.”

— Mike Schade

“The AI data center being evaluated by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) in East Fishkill should serve as a wake-up call not only for this community, but for communities across the Hudson Valley.

“I have worked to safeguard communities in New York and across the country from environmental health hazards for more than 25 years, including right here in East Fishkill. Going back to 2004, I worked with residents in Hopewell Junction whose drinking water was contaminated by TCE, a cancer-causing chemical from the Hopewell Precision site.

“I was here then, and I would be here now regardless of whether I was running for office. I am committed to protecting the health, water, and well-being of communities throughout the Hudson Valley.

“I want to recognize that no formal proposal for a massive data center has been submitted to the Town of East Fishkill. At the same time, the fact that a project of this scale is being evaluated by the New York Independent System Operator raises serious questions and concerns.

“I want to thank the Town Supervisor and Town Board for listening to residents and considering a three-year moratorium. Given the scale of this facility being evaluated and the questions it raises, that is a prudent and responsible step.

“According to the Times Union, the East Fishkill AI data center being evaluated could require as much electricity as approximately 800,000 homes. To put that into perspective, the facility could require more than six times the electricity used by all homes in Dutchess County combined, and roughly 80 times the number of homes in East Fishkill.

“I want to thank the Town Supervisor and Town Board for listening to residents and considering a three-year moratorium.”

— Mike Schade

“That’s simply staggering. No community should be expected to absorb that kind of demand without asking very tough questions first. When one project requires more than six times the electricity needed to power every home in Dutchess County, we’re not talking about neighborhood development anymore. We’re talking about a massive industrial-scale facility operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with impacts that could extend far beyond East Fishkill.

“At a time when families are struggling to pay their utility bills, residents should not be asked to shoulder the costs of infrastructure upgrades needed to serve some of the largest and wealthiest corporations in the world.

“The Hudson Valley should absolutely welcome economic development. But development should strengthen communities, not strain infrastructure or diminish quality of life. Responsible growth means planning for the future, not gambling with it.

“I strongly encourage the Town Board to adopt this moratorium. In closing, I want to thank the Town Board for considering for this important measure.”

Town Supervisor Nick stressed to News12 that the moratorium “alone would halt an application. Bbut I think that those large data centers — I don't see a future for them in the Hudson Valley. We just don't have the space."

East Fishkill Town Supervisor Doubles Down On No Data Center - Citing Current Zoning Law And Power Studies Prohibiting It; Then Triples Down With New Moratorium

UPDATE 6/25/2026: “By Unanimous Vote, East Fishkill Town Board Passes 3 Year Moratorium On Data Centers”

For months, residents in Beacon, East Fishkill and the Town of Fishkill have been spotting signs for a potential data center proposed to be built in East Fishkill. Several protesters from these communities gathered at East Fishkill’s Town Hall in May 2026 for their Town Board Meeting (equivalent of Beacon’s City Council Meetings). Elected officials like Lisa Kaul, when she was running for New York State Senate District 39, have been speaking out about it, and positioning postcard mailers around the concept of No Data Centers.

But is there a data center coming to East Fishkill?

To find out the status of a proposed data center in East Fishkill, ALBB reached out to and spoke with Nick D’Alessandro, the East Fishkill Town Supervisor. On May 27, 2026, he told ALBB via phone: "There is no application. This is crazy.”

The professional trade organization which represents the Hudson Valley and Westchseter construction industries, Contractor Industry Council (CIC) and Building Contractor Association (BCA), published an article on May 26, 2026, which quoted Nick as saying: “No site plan, special permit application, zoning request, or other development application has been submitted to the town for review,” Mr. D’Alessando stated.

Are Data Centers Even Permitted In Zoning Law In East Fishkill?

No. The Town Supervisor Nick confirmed to ALBB that a data center is not permitted in an industrial site. However, Nick said: “Data centers are all around us. Very small ones. But they are necessary for chip productions. They never made any news because they are very small.”

In the May 26, 2026 interview with ALBB about this speculated data center, Nick gave ALBB the background to this data center development: “This property is an industrial property in town. They have a current application in for a warehouse. A logistics center. The town was in the midst of doing our Master Plan. During that process, we put a moratorium on industrial properties until we completed our Master Plan. That moratorium is set to expire at the end of June 2026.”

During that timeline, Nick told ALBB, the property owner came to East Fishkill and said: “We might want to change it from a warehouse to make it a data center.”

Nick continued: "But we know there is no power in this area. We dealt with this all the time with former IBM East and West centers. There is only 50 megawatt available."

Thus making the idea of this data center obsolete, ALBB asked? "Right. Then it doesn't matter. But he [the developer] didn't believe us. He made an application on how much power is available."

Nick continued: “We really didn't think much of it. But this grew legs.” Social media started blowing up with shares of a proposed data center for many more megawatts than are available. Food & Water Watch helped organize protests at the East Fishkill Town Hall meeting, and Lisa Kaul gave her speech against data centers in East Fishkill, which circulated widely on Instagram. In their promotional materials, neither Lisa Kaul nor Food & Water Watch seemed to mention the existing zoning laws that would not support or allow this data center.

“As we looked into this, specially data center, we found it is not listed as permitted use in any industrial site. It got better for us! But to calm everybody, we put up a resolution last week [in May] to extend our moratorium in industrial sites. Next month in June, we will hold our Public Hearing. We also put language in there on moratorium on data centers as well. To double and triple down.”

Nick continued: “The people don't want them in any other areas. But it doesn’t matter - we have to do what the law says.”

But don’t municipal laws change with new resolutions, ALBB asked? Nick answered: “It can't supersede a state law.”

What Does New York State Law Say About Data Centers?

“New York State is now looking at putting a moratorium on data centers. That would apply to anything new. Then it doesn't matter what we say.”

While Nick was trying to find cover under state law to not deal with the title wave of local pushback, NY State Senator Kristen Gonzalez, who is also Chair of the Senate Internet and Technology Committee, passed a Data Center Moratorium - the first in the nation if signed. However, Governor Kathy Hochul has not signed it yet, and has until the end of the year to veto it. Today (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. said he supports a nationwide moratorium on new data centers.

As for the details of Senator Kristen Gonzalez’s New York legislation named The Responsible Data Center Development Act (S.10462): “legislation requiring environmental impact assessments, new rate classes for electricity and water usage, and labor protections on the development of data centers. It notably includes a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center permits for hyperscale facilities with a peak load of over 20 Megawatts.”

Back to East Fishkill

Nick seemed unaccustomed to such a public turnout to reject the hint of a local development. “We had a lot of people come to the last Town Board Meeting. That meeting wasn’t the time to discuss this. The Public Hearing is next month [June]. But all the people in the public were from Fishkill and Beacon. And the people speaking were running for public office.”

As politics entered the scene, the zoning details seemed to have gotten lost. Before publishing this article, ALBB reached back out to Town Supervisor Nick to check on the latest status. He said: “Moratorium is set for this Thursday and I feel it will pass. It will be a 3 year moratorium on data centers. The existing moratorium on all industrial properties will be extended for 7 months. We have heard nothing from the developer.”

Just an hour before ALBB reached out to him, Nick had published his own statement on Facebook:

There’s a lot of misinformation being spread about “data centers” in East Fishkill. Let’s set the record straight:

There is NO application before the Town. There has NEVER been an application for a data center.

In fact, under our current zoning, data centers are not even listed as a permissible use in our industrial zones.

Despite that, the Town Board is taking the proactive step of introducing a 3-year moratorium on data centers to give our community certainty and allow time for further study and discussion.

That’s what responsible government looks like: acting on facts, not fear.

Unfortunately, some are choosing to politicize this issue, spread panic, and organize protests over something that does not exist. Residents deserve honesty — not hysteria.

The Town Board will continue to lead with transparency, facts, and what’s best for East Fishkill.

At some point facts have to matter.

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Town Supervisor Nick’s response was met with mixed reviews. Some applauded him for his straightforward tone, while others felt spoken down to. Do Hudson Valley residents have reason for concern which necessitated an aggressive, pro-active approach to block data center construction? Yes.

What A Local Professional Construction Trade Organization Says About Data Centers

“Locally, Rockland County has seen a number of data center developments, including projects by DataBank and JP Morgan in Orangeburg, with DataBank looking to build another in the county,” CICBCA reported. “However, data center construction, which is on the rise, has mainly occurred outside of the New York metro region and is facing backlash.”

The article went on to highlight a study by Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate firm, which reported that the data center sector continues expanding, but is facing pushback. “Across the region,” the report stated, “governments, utilities and local jurisdictions are introducing new regulatory guardrails and infrastructure requirements designed to oversee power demand, land and natural resource use, and long-term grid stability. Regulatory changes are increasingly shaping how and where development occurs. New permitting rules, zoning adjustments, infrastructure cost-sharing requirements, and local moratoriums are slowing approvals in several established markets and pushing activity toward tertiary locations where power availability, permitting timelines, and land availability provide faster paths to deployment.”

Based on this report, it seems that actions from locals working to block data centers in East Fishkill, and responses from local leadership, did align to so far bottleneck the path to data center approval. This may be one of the few times that different political leanings did align, but acknowledgement for such is necessary in order to proceed more united.