Recently, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill announced a comprehensive plan to regulate artificial intelligence data centers, establishing a vital precedent: working families will no longer subsidize the operating costs of tech giants.
As the debate over AI data centers and rising utility costs continues, the New York State comptroller’s office has the power to step in. Yet, when I confronted the 20-year incumbent, Tom DiNapoli, at our debate, his response was a classic Albany cop-out: if I wanted to change policies, I should run for governor. That is wrong. Protecting New Yorkers from this ravaging affordability crisis simply requires the courage to act.
The comptroller has the authority to audit state decisions and follow every dollar from rates to bills. By auditing the Public Service Commission (PSC), we can implement ratepayer rebates, claw back excess profits from utility companies, and return them to consumers.
Right now, Con Edison and National Grid have quietly filed for skyrocketing rate hikes, which the PSC has approved. Meanwhile, five of the state’s major utilities pocketed more than 63% in profits over the last decade, resulting in $3.17 billion in profits in 2024 alone. Con Edison’s profits alone surged from $1.15 billion in 2015 to $1.89 billion in 2024.
Behind these numbers are real people feeling the impact every month. New Yorkers are already struggling under the weight of rising costs, from rent and groceries to transportation and healthcare. Utility bills have become yet another source of financial strain, forcing families, seniors on fixed incomes, and small business owners to make impossible choices about their household budgets.
While working people are asked to pay more and make greater sacrifices, Albany continues to approve rate increases with little scrutiny. The government’s responsibility is not to protect powerful interests — it is to protect the public, especially when basic necessities become increasingly unaffordable.
Simultaneously, upstate towns have become testing grounds for AI developers, who are converting abandoned factories into data centers. Citing concerns over this explosive growth, nearly 500 New York businesses urged Gov. Hochul to support a temporary moratorium on new data centers and this week the Legislature passed a 1-year moratorium.
Our state’s chief auditor — the comptroller — should provide lawmakers with the hard data and economic reports they need to evaluate this threat, instead of passively rubber-stamping the utility industry’s demands. We can and must institute an AI Data Center Fair Share Fee to ensure that the companies driving grid demand pay their fair share rather than shifting costs onto working families.
DiNapoli argues the comptroller’s office is limited in scope and that utilities fall solely under the governor. That is a convenient excuse to maintain the status quo. The comptroller is legally empowered to audit state agencies, investigate how ratepayer dollars are spent, review state contracts, and leverage our massive pension fund to demand transparency from Con Edison and National Grid.
When my opponent makes excuses for sitting on his hands, we must follow the money. DiNapoli has accepted more than $80,000 in campaign donations from the utility industry and PACs affiliated with Con Edison and National Grid. You cannot expect the watchdog to bite the hand that feeds it.
If no one is watching where the money goes, working people will continue to pay for Albany’s inaction. New Yorkers deserve a comptroller who is willing to fight, use every tool in the toolkit, and protect working families.
Goyle is running for state comptroller. He is a businessman, lawyer, founder of Phone Free New York, and former member of the Kansas Legislature.