Hear from Third Act Lawyers, Public Citizen, and Food & Water Watch on how to campaign locally to halt the rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers.
About this event
Third Act and its partners are calling for local and national moratoria to stop the rapid, unchecked building of ‘hyperscale’ data centers, which are intended to accelerate speculative AI projects.
This 60-minute webinar will explore legal strategies local residents can effectively use to halt data center permitting and construction:
- petition for local moratorium or ballot referendum
- challenge non-disclosure agreements (open records laws)
- contest zoning classifications and variances
- demand rigorous environmental impact assessments
- challenge procedural missteps in public notice compliance.
The current call for moratoria in building hyperscale data centers throughout the nation is to allow for the development and implementation of sound environmental policy and prudent economic policy. If not, the industry will continue to rush into agreements with local governments to acquire land, water and electricity to meet massive energy needs. These agreements are loaded with ratepayer subsidies, access to precious water sources, and promises to supply energy that feeds into the fossil fuel industry’s narrative that to keep this technology running we have to put a pause on dealing with climate change for now. Third Act supports moratoria to afford us necessary time to get it right before irreparable harm is done to the environment and the economy.
—Michael Richardson, Campaigns Director, Third Act.
Tyson Slocum, Public Citizen, Director, Energy Program
Tyson promotes an equitable energy transition that provides distributed renewable energy generation and sustainable transportation solutions for working families. Tyson Slocum is an expert in issues dealing with regulation and deregulation of energy markets, the impact of mergers and lax regulations over electricity, petroleum and natural gas and federal energy legislation.
Tracy Lewis, Public Citizen Senior Policy Counsel, Climate Program
Tracy advocates for financial regulators to direct companies, banks, money managers, and other private actors to better identify and address the risks related to the climate crisis. Tracey has broad experience advising organizations on equity and environmental law and policy.
Pat Almonrode, Co-facilitator of Third Act Lawyers and Third Act NYC
Pat Almonrode is an attorney in private practice. He’s been a climate activist since 2009, when he joined 350NYC, and has helped organize many NYC actions since then, including the 2014 Climate March and – ten years later – 2024’s Summer of Heat. As co-facilitator of Third Act Lawyers, he works to connect members with programs sponsored by organizations such as Lawyers Defending American Democracy, Earthjustice, and Lawyers for Good Government, and to present webinars on topics of interest for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.
Thomas Meyer, Food & Water Watch, Organizing Projects Director
Thomas Meyer is the Strategic Organizing Projects Director at Food & Water Watch. Based in Seattle, Washington, he works with organizers, volunteers, and coalition partners across the country to develop campaign strategies and build grassroots power. He has played a major role in multiple successful Food & Water Watch campaigns including stopping dirty energy legislation in Congress and organizing the March to End Fossil Fuels. Thomas was previously the Senior Maryland Organizer, where he led Food & Water Watch to a landmark victory with the successful campaign to ban fracking statewide. Prior to joining Food & Water Watch in 2015, Thomas attended American University where he organized a fossil fuel divestment campaign and earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies.
