Seneca Lake Pure Waters urges stronger scrutiny of data centers’ effects on Finger Lakes
The Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association submitted comments urging New York regulators to broaden their environmental review of data centers and the electrical infrastructure needed to serve them. The group wants regulators to assess water consumption, stormwater, wastewater, lake temperatures, aquatic life, emissions and impacts on surrounding communities, citing proposed development at the Greenidge facility in Dresden.
The Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association asked the New York State Public Service Commission to expand its review of the environmental effects of large data centers and other major electricity users. Its formal comments call for analysis of water consumption, wastewater, stormwater runoff, water temperatures, air emissions, supporting power infrastructure and potential effects on fish, aquatic organisms and nearby communities.
The comments were submitted as part of the commission's Energize NY proceeding, which addresses grid interconnections and related costs. The commission adopted a draft scope for a generic environmental impact statement in September and is considering public input before finalizing the study. Pure Waters also urged greater involvement from the Department of Environmental Conservation, local governments, watershed groups and residents, pointing to proposed artificial intelligence and high-performance computing development at the Greenidge facility in Dresden as a local example.