Don’t just say no to data centers; write the terms first
Stream U.S. Data Centers has paused plans for a 2.2-million-square-foot, 500-megawatt campus at the STAMP site in the town of Alabama, Genesee County. The project faces environmental challenges, and the article argues that counties should establish clear requirements for electricity, water, noise, employment and other impacts before considering data center proposals.
Stream U.S. Data Centers, backed by Apollo Global Management, is seeking to develop a 2.2-million-square-foot data center campus at the Science, Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Park in the town of Alabama, Genesee County. The proposed facility would consume about 500 megawatts of electricity and create roughly 125 permanent jobs, but the company has put the project on hold while an expanded plan is expected.
The proposal has been challenged by the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Sierra Club over environmental approvals. The article argues that Genesee County and other Finger Lakes communities should establish enforceable standards in advance covering power costs, water consumption, noise, emissions, infrastructure, employment commitments and site restoration, rather than negotiating those terms after a project is proposed.