NYS Legislative Commission on Rural Resources

07/14/2026

Proud to see Governor Kathy Hochul step up to implement the nation's first statewide moratorium on hyperscale data centers while we take the time to study their impacts on our water supply, air quality, and utility bills.

The governor's executive order will bypass legislation that had proposed more restrictive measures on data centers that use large amounts of energy.

06/30/2026

Eligible New York State farmers (including dairy farmers and those working with livestock, specialty crops, and aquaculture) can now apply for payments between $1,000 and $25,000 to help offset increased prices due to tariffs!

The funding comes from a $30 million allocation in this year's State Budget. Read more below!

New York farmers can start submitting applications for up to $25,000 in relief from the state as part of a $30 million aid effort aimed ​at easing the hit to farmers from Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's ‌tariffs, Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul said on Monday.

06/25/2026

We had a great trip to Plattsburgh yesterday to see the Northway Solar agrivoltaics project in action. The 36 acre community solar site hosts over 12,000 bifacial solar panels that power 1,000 homes and result in a 10-15% reduction in local utility bills.

Look underneath the panels and you'll see sheep doing their part!

Thanks to Alliance For Clean Energy New York for the invitation!

06/22/2026

NYS Grown & Certified is ten years old!

To celebrate, the New York Farm Viability Institute is now accepting applications on a rolling basis through the NYS Grown & Certified Research and Development Grant.

$1.36 million in funding is available, and grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 will be awarded to support Grown & Certified farmers, food processors and distributors in covering the research and development costs needed to launch new NYS Grown & Certified food products, or increase the production and/or distribution of existing NYS Grown & Certified food products.

For more info, visit the link below!

$1.36 million Available for Research and Development of New York State Grown & Certified Food Products The New York Farm Viability Institute is pleased to announce that the 2026 NYS Grown &…

06/17/2026

We always want to keep our rural communities informed about how the decisions being made in Albany will impact them.

So, after a whirlwind end to the legislative session this year, we are excited to publish our annual summary of the NYS Budget. It focuses on rural-related policies and spending items enacted this year.

Take a look:

Albany, NY--On Wednesday, June 17, the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources released their fourth annual summary of the New York State Enacted Budget. The annual report offers a summary of rural-related items in the Budget and includes background and analysis across all issues and sectors.

06/03/2026

Another great Dairy Day yesterday!

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

Yesterday we attended a press conference in support of bills that will place a moratorium on data centers and end subsidies for their construction and operation.

Without knowing their full impacts on water and energy usage, noise pollution, and utility rates, it's critical that we hit pause in this moment!

06/01/2026

Last week was a busy one, but we still took some time to celebrate New York Cider on Wednesday!

04/30/2026

Data centers are resource-intensive and create few long-term jobs compared to the costs of construction and maintenance.

As we have seen their proliferation in other states, it's important to fully consider their environmental and economic impacts while protecting ratepayers and taxpayers here in New York State.

S.9182 (May)/A.10852 (Kelles) would:
-cap subsidies for mid-size data centers at $500,000 per job and ban subsidies outright for large data centers;
-ban the New York Power Authority from offering discounted electricity to large data centers;
-place the Department of Environmental Conservation in charge of all environmental reviews for data centers; and
-mandate an environmental impact statement for any data center located within 10 miles of a federally recognized indigenous nation.

Read more about it here:

Syracuse-area Sen. Rachel May has proposed a bill that would cap tax breaks for mid-sized data centers and ban them for large ones.