Rural WNY data center proposal sparks outrage in community
A proposal by WEED Inc. to build an AI data center on a former golf course in Brocton, within the Town of Portland, New York, has sparked significant community opposition. Over 3,100 residents have signed a petition against the project, even before an official application was filed. The article also mentions a separate Stream Data Centers project in Genesee County facing environmental and tax break criticisms.
A proposal to construct a large AI data center on the former Sugar Hill Golf Course in Brocton, located within the Town of Portland, New York, has ignited strong community opposition. WEED Inc. is the company behind the plan to develop the 44-acre lakefront property along State Route 5. The site, which WEED Inc. acquired almost a decade ago after the golf course went bankrupt, is eyed for a significant artificial intelligence data center.
Despite the fact that no official application has yet been filed for the project, community members have rapidly mobilized, collecting more than 3,100 signatures on a petition to express their disapproval of the proposed development. The outrage highlights growing concerns within rural communities regarding data center proliferation.
The article also references a separate, substantial data center project by Stream Data Centers in Genesee County, New York, which plans a $19.5 billion investment. Critics of the Genesee County project argue it would cause environmental harm and is slated to receive considerable tax breaks, amounting to $1.4 billion, in exchange for a relatively small number of permanent jobs, specifically 125.