Video: Auburn City Council discusses further action against data centers

The Auburn City Council recently discussed potential local actions concerning data centers, prompted by Governor Kathy Hochul's executive order imposing a one-year moratorium on data center development across New York State. A council member expressed relief regarding the statewide moratorium but emphasized the need for local consideration of further measures, including a possible data center ban.

Mr. Jensen, a city official, confirmed the city council's authority to enact its own moratorium or a ban at any time. He elaborated on the city's industrial pre-treatment program, headed by Tim O'Brien, which mandates that any industrial waste brought to the wastewater treatment plant, including from potential data center operations, must be permitted and undergo rigorous testing. This process ensures the plant has the capacity and capability to safely treat such waste, with the city often denying permits if standards are not met.

Mr. Jensen suggested that the council could pass a resolution to explicitly prohibit data center wastewater from being accepted by Auburn's wastewater treatment plant, akin to previous actions taken regarding frac water. He also highlighted that the state's moratorium would involve further studies on the constituents and impacts of data center waste. While acknowledging the environmental considerations, he noted that if such waste is proven safe through study, its treatment could potentially become a future revenue source for the city of Auburn.