Joyce—
It’s time for Third Act to get involved in the fight against AI-driven, hyperscale data centers, which are driving up electricity costs, creating noise pollution that is harming humans and other animals, razing green spaces, displacing people, and more.
We’ve teamed up with Third Act Laywers, Public Citizen, Food & Water Watch, the Athena Coalition and other organizations to develop a three-part webinar series that will share strategies to stop data centers where you live—and beyond. The first event is soon—April 20, at 4pm PT/7pm ET. Can you join us?
Stop the Madness: A Call for Data Center Moratoria (Part One)
April 20, 2026 — 4:00 PM PT/ 7:00 AM ET
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, and
- 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
While we’re here to provide you with the tools you need to take this fight into your local community, we’re also supporting the AI Data Center Moratorium Act, introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The Act calls for a national moratorium—send a letter to your member of Congress here and call on them to support it as well.
Onward and in solidarity,
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.
Ellen Hornstein, Third Act Lawyers
Ellen Hornstein retired in January 2025 after 35 years of service from the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the General Counsel. For most of her career she represented the United States Forest Service in matters involving federal land use issues, including environmental compliance. Ellen joined Third Act shortly after retiring and is a member of Third Act Lawyers’ Coordinating Committee.
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